#just gonna be projecting onto shadow at this point

[paracosmicessence]

as someone who has been working at starbucks for three years i’m very upset that no one told me that because of the murder of sonic the hedgehog game people made an au where shadow is a starbucks barista

[gaylos-lobos]

I think if you boil down Belos to only evil puritan guy and younger brother jealous of his big brother, not just are you misinterpreting him but you also don’t fully understand Luz as a character.

[reddpenn]

The current state of the Rock Wall!

Video transcript:

Who wants a tour of my rock collection?

I guess we’ll start over here; this is the newest shelf. I just added it. A lot of stuff from the other shelves have now joined this shelf. It’s got a nice little sliding glass door to protect my more high-end specimens. On this we have a lot of my thumbnails, including some of the more delicate, or some of the more valuable thumbnails. Some of my more high-end specimens over here, like that beautiful wulfenite.

I have started labeling the stones now, so some of the stones have these neat little labels, and some of them do not. But everything in this case does.

And then of course some of the larger high-end specimens down here. And I’m not sure what I’m gonna put on those lower shelves yet.

Up above that I have a new display case, and this is where I’m putting all of my cabochons.

So here I’ve gotten it down and we’ll open it up. This is all velcro. I made this myself out of a normal shadowbox that I got at the store. These are all attached by velcro so that I can take them out and rearrange them and add more to them and move them around.

This case is lighted. The case next to it is technically lighted, but the lights are out of battery right now. Eventually I want to switch that to something more permanent that can be plugged in all the time so I don’t have to constantly swap out the batteries.

This is the Original Rock Shelf, so it is crammed full of some of my oldest specimens. I recently did a project where I added these acrylic risers to it to kinda make a little bit of space, which made it a bit less crammed, which is nice. A lot of specimens on this shelf. Buch of geodes down there. That’s Geode Territory.

Next to it, below the North American giant ground sloth bone, we have more of my thumbnail specimens. Just a bunch of little guys. I’d like to light this shelf too. I think that would help them show up better. The meteorite collection is over here. We got some rust on this guy, but I think he’s doing okay. And then over here, my opal collection. So here is the Ethiopian opals, we’ve got an Australian opal, we’ve got a Honduran opal back there. That one up there is also Ethiopian opal, right in the middle.

Down below that, just more of the really tiny stuff, and some miscellaneous stuff.

The spheres and eggs are under that. The one under a cloth is a reconstituted quartz. If I leave it where sunlight can hit it, it’ll burn my house down so I just keep it covered because I’m a little bit paranoid about that.

Miscellaneous stuff: I got some tumbled stones, I got some palm stones. Just… stuff gets thrown down on that shelf.

The shelf next to it. This was at one point my large specimen and high-end shelf, and at this point is just the large specimen shelf because the high-end shelf is now over here. Which has made this shelf a lot less crowded, to move all that stuff over. Again, I’ve got my acrylic risers on there. I have a bunch of my big specimens. I’d like to light this shelf too. You can see how the shadows are kind of a problem like on the halite in the back there.

And then below those are the agates. This shelf is the bane of my existence. I have so many agates that I physically cannot cram any more agates onto this shelf. I’m gonna need to get some more risers and see if I can clear a little bit of space for the agate collection.

Down below that, some more miscellaneous large things. Got a jade, got a labradorite, got a kambaba stone. In the box is vivianite, but it can’t be exposed to light, so it lives in a box. And then here I have another one of these shadowboxes that opens up, and it’s got a bunch of gem jars inside of my very very small stuff.

And then over here, this is the shelf where my newest stuff starts living. Stuff that I’ve added to my collection most recently. This is also where all the fossils are living currently. And in that box is all the crinoids I just pick up off the ground. We have a ton of them around here.

Underneath that we’ve got this big desert rose, fills the whole shelf.

Next to that I have this tiny shelf that has some of my rock-adjacent things like my mineralogy puzzles. Tully lives here. Some of my mineralogy books but not all of them. They don’t all fit.

And that’s the short and sweet tour of the current state of my rock collection!

[khloxxy]

hello! i hope you're doing well ^_^ i just wanna ask about your favorite headcanon of rus, cana and ame (if you're up for it, no pressure, i wanna see what kumajirou looks like in your style)

i like your art! don't mind me if you see me liking your posts hehe

Hello (^_^) thank you... Your art is very beautiful I'm honoured... Sorry if this is kinda late(?) my brain works best when it's the middle of the night. I wrote this in my notes at like 3am...

My headcanons are really messy and subject to change so keep that in mind 🙏 Gonna put them under a read more cause they're pretty long and I rambled on and on.. Got carried away sorry!! Also it's kind of cringe at some points but that's okay. To be cringe is to be free.

---

Rus: My beloved... He's cute, yes, but also very creepy. (I love a creepy rus) I see him as this character that's always looming over everyone, always watching... He likes how docile and obedient Cana is, and with Ame... well... He likes the challenge.

He likes the arts... And I believe he's an incredible poet and dancer. I like to think that Rus spends his free time writing hauntingly beautiful poetry in a journal of his since there are a lot of beautifully written Russian literature... That journal could also probably work as his diary too because why not. He also does ballet and figure skating, and Ame probably calls him gay for it, this irks Rus but that's okay. He'll rip the tongue out of that American's loud mouth one day. He just has to be patient. (that last part is cringe but my rusame brain told me to write it)

For music I think he'd like classical (tchaikovsky) and metal. I also think he'd visit old abandoned buildings just to see the ruins. Maybe even appreciate the architecture? He finds beauty in the decay.

His relationship with Ame is a game of chess (Rus loves chess, so he loves whatever he has going on with Ame), each move calculated, each interaction charged with unspoken tension (they never reveal their love for eachother... the only time that would happen is probably in life-or-death situations but with their immortality that's practically impossible – actually you know what?? Scratch that. No confessions... Unless drunk or under the influence of something maybe.) With Cana, it's more like a delicate dance, appreciating his gentleness but always aware of the fragile nature of their bond – he's aware that cana and him are only really bound together through Ame.

---

Cana: Neglected boy (eng and fra both coddled Ame more) ... Envious of Ame but still loves him – he's frustrated. He knows so much about Ame but Ame knows nothing about him. Ame doesn't care enough to bother learning about him. It's unfair. I believe he actually has Kumajirou for comfort... But even his pet bear doesn't remember him (to be fair, he doesn't remember Kumajirou's name either.)

For music taste, I think he'd like shoegaze actually... it's calm yet messy-ish and it matches well with his vibe. (Totally not just projecting my music taste onto him)

He dislikes being in the shadow of his brother but he does appreciate his brother sticking up for him. Doing all the talking for him. He doesn't like new people usually. They never understand. (Never understand his freak.. yes Cana has a hidden freak to me.)

He genuinely gets along with rus. They're more similar than they initially thought after all. I mean they're both shy (to a point), both live in cold climates, both have weird relationships with ame... And both are connected through Ame... Rus and Cana both recognize that they are intrinsically tied together only through Ame.

---

Ame: Insufferable (put him in the eternal torture chamber!) Even so, Rus and Cana are still drawn to him like moths to a flame. Type of guy to test the limits of his immortal body... I wish Hima did more with their immortality because that is such an interesting subject. Probably has more DUIs than you can count. Has crashed a plane on purpose. No way you can be the United States of America and not end up crazy.

For the Cold War... Ame was genuinely disappointed when the USSR fell, he was like "well... what now...??" Because for several decades he had a villain to match his hero... But now that Rus fell off... what now? He misses the thrill and rush of it (he's a thrill-seeker... Type 3 fun typa guy). Also, he knew nothing would actually happen anyhow because of M.A.D (Mutually Assured Destruction) no one would actually drop bombs.. right? (they had a few close calls). Maybe the cold war was just one big edging session... (Lmfao sorry had to say it)

Okay adding to the above thing but the paragraph got too long for me. Another reason why Ame thrived in the cold war is that Rus had his singular attention on him. Just him. He loved that. He loved having all of someone's attention. He can't help it. He's just a girl! 🎀 (Kinda yandere-ish vibes but I fw yandere ideas so... Actually all 3 of them could be yandere in the right mindset.)

To me, Ame is the kind of person who thrives on adrenaline, always seeking the next big rush – he's also a huge sucker for attention. That's why he does the crazy things he does. For attention. After all, what is he without attention?

With Cana, well this is a me thing but I like to think that Ame is actually quite clingy with his brother.. He's one of the only people Ame allows to touch him.. Ame's not a very touchy person. Ame does crave genuine connections and Cana is one of the few that can offer that. They're each other's one and only brother after all. That has to mean something.

His relationship with Cana? Complicated... They seem good from the outside but Ame barely knows anything about his brother. Cana could say a million things about Ame but Ame could only respond with maybe a few hundred or so things about Cana – heck, maybe even that would be stretching it. Although, Ame does care for his brother in his own way, truly.

Last little thing I'd like to add: Ame has a collection of vintage stuff. I don't know why. Vintage things just scream American to me. Like old comic books..

[blu-ish]

Seasonal Love💖

PART TWO (read Part One Here ;))

Summary: A couple weeks after Sonic's "Valentines Day" encounter with his rival, he decides it's only fair to teach Shadow about a Mobian Holiday. It's only polite after all...

So why is he suddenly feeling embarrassed about it now?

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Tails busied himself with his gadgets. It wasn't often that he'd get the free time to work on something that wasn't "saving the world" related. Don't get him wrong, he loved a challenge, but some of his personal projects needed some tending too.

Wiping his brow, the kit smiled proudly at his work. All he needed was to fine tune it and--

"Hey bud!" a gush of wind engulfed the room, it was kind of refreshing to the sweaty inventor, who held onto his working goggles as the breeze passed. Smiling at his older brother with a brow.

"What did I say about running into my workshop at mach one?"

"And what did I say about working without the windows open little brother?" Sonic ruffled the fox's head, moving passed him to pull the window open, leaning against the frame to enjoy the fresh air that drifted in.

Tails knew how picky Sonic was about windows, it seemed the only time they were ever closed was during a storm. Before he could reassure his sibling it just slipped his mind, he gasped, running up to the window.

"Is that--?!"

"Sure is! I think it's my best one this season."

Hanging just above his window, was a small charm. Tails always thought they looked similar to wind chimes or suncatchers. Small yellow and orange flowers were weaved between fresh blades of grass, two pine cones at their center. All held by a strings and small twigs. It was beautiful.

"That's today?!" Tails groaned, "I completely forgot! Wait a minute--" he pointed an accusing gloved finger at the hedgehog. "You didn't remind me on purpose so you could beat me this season!"

"and I oop--" Sonic wheezed, weakly covering his face as the younger playfully swatted at him. "Do you like it at least?"

Pulling his older brother into a tight hug, he couldn't stop his tails from wagging, causing another small gust. "I love it, thank you Sonic."

Sonic purred, resting his head on his baby brother's. They stayed like that for a minute before Tails pulled away sighing, a bit defeated.

"How am I supposed to top that?! I've only started collecting for everyone last week!" He really needed to rework his scheduling, especially during holidays.

"You still have the rest of today before the festival dude! Don't sweat it." Sonic reassured him. He knew his brother was right, his inventions could wait, and he wasn't just gonna let Sonic have all the fun. "I still gotta hang the rest of them before tonight, but I can help you with yours if you like."

Tails nodded, he was gonna need all the help he could get. The fox was good with machines, but when it came to arts and crafts, well...

"Only if the "charms king" want's to of course." the fox teased, removing his workshop equipment and running up to his brother who had already zipped over to open the door.

"Indubitably dear brother." Sonic bowed. Shutting the door behind them. The charm swayed in the wind, it's twin pine cones turning ever so slightly.

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Shadow had never seen the town this busy before.

The one day off he had from work, was the day he decided to visit Sunset Heights, a small Mobian town just a quick run--for him at least, from Westopolis. There was the occasional human here and there, but the buildings themselves accommodated the different species height, so they mostly stood outside and chatted with their much smaller companions.

What caught his eye the most, was the amount of.. hanging like objects? Decor? He couldn't really put his finger on how to describe them, but they seemed to hang on every window within his sight. It was, admittedly, a little strange. But he supposed it was a nice change to how the town was a few years prior, when Eggman sent the place to ruin.

Unwilling to reopen those memories, he instead walked a little closer to a local bakery, where a older goat like Mobian woman tended to what seemed to be baskets upon baskets of leaves, grass, flowers, and twigs.

What on Earth is going on?

He hadn't meant to peer inside of the baskets, but his curious nature betrayed him anyways, catching the attention of the shop keeper.

"Are ya interested in my rare wares youngster?" she laughed. Shadow noticed her windows had tons of those same hanging objects, which seemed to be made out of the same kind of material, he blinked as the lady awaited an answer.

"O-oh, I apologize, I was just curious about... the grass." You would think he would be used to public interactions by now, he mentally cringed at himself. Why was he like this...

"Oh your a grass fan huh? Well I got dead grass, some what alive grass, brown, green, yellow--you name it honey."

Before he could ask-- or better yet, try to understand what was happening, he felt a line build up behind him. The goat looked at him expectedly. How did he even get here? He was NOT going to buy grass---

...

He bought 2 bags of grass and a single flower.

Pulling out his phone, he sent pictures of some of the hanging decor that boggled his mind to Rouge. Maybe she would know, she always happened too. He had to admit, some of the designs were rather beautiful, while confusing.

He continued to walk through the town, entering the main plaza, he reached down to grab the particular flower he had purchased in his moment of weakness. He sat down near the fountain to examine it.

Each flower the lady was selling had been pressed and incased in a glass like circle container. Like a keychain, it was held by a single string. The yellow rose shimmered in the sunlight, their tips a deep red. He supposed it was rather stunning, he could find some use for it, maybe.

The agent watched as groups moved from one side of the plaza to the other, moving tables, bags, and tools. He felt a little cramped, so much for finding a place to relax--he wasn't a fan of crowds.

Not wanting to get in the way more than he felt he already has, Shadow hastily walked out of the town, finding solace in the nearby woods.

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Sonic was on a roll today.

After helping Tails with the charms for everyone, he was quickly shooed out of the house. His little brother wanted to surprise him with his charm when it was finished. Sonic offered to take the few the kit was able to get done with him, it was probably one of his favorite parts.

After all, who was a better delivery boy then the fastest thing alive?

He hit all the stops, as many as he could anyways, he couldn't wait to see all the additions during the festival. He wondered if they'd finally serve chilidogs this season?

After quietly hanging some charms at a certain detective agency, along with a quick run passed Vanillas, the blue hedgehog pulled out the last two charms-- littered with small pink flowers and shiny stones, meant for the one and only Amy Rose.

The pink hedgehogs window was wide open, the sweet smell of--what Sonic could tell anyways, was something in the oven, probably for the festival. This was one of Amy's favorite holidays after all.

But before Sonic could hang the charms, Amy was already opening her froNT DOOR-- NO HIS PEFRECT PLAN FOILED.

Quickly hiding the charms behind his back, he hoped they wouldn't get tangled together too much. He smiled as Amy made eye contact with him. Act natural.

"H-Hey Ames! Cooking up something for tonight? Wouldn't happen to be chilidogs would it?" yeah, he was super cool.

Amy rolled her eyes, but played along. "Nope! It's my world famous strawberry short cake, also its baking not "cooking" Sonic."

Sonic groaned, what was she the word police? It should've been chilidogs.. NO ONE BRINGS CHILIDOGS-- before he could continue his mental war over the fact he was getting strawberry short cake AGAIN, Amy gasped. Crap he forgot he was supposed to be hiding the--

"Are those--?!"

"NO AMY SAVE YOURSELF DONT LOOK ITS BAD LUCK S T O P." He stammered, quickly running inside her house to hang them out her window letting out a long sigh of relief. "There we go, I saved your life you owe me now."

Amy snorted, holding her ribs as it quickly turned into a laughing fit. Sonic couldn't help laughing with her. It was nice, it really brought out the kids in them both. She walked back inside to look at them, wiping the tears from her green eyes. "Your a dork, ahh they're beautiful!"

"Thanks! Tails was really hoping you'd think so, I mean, mines a given but--" Amy nudged him playfully, stopping him mid sentence. "Alright we don't need another "Pro Charms" maker speech. You won that competition one time! one!"

"Sounds like something a beginner would say." He smiled smugly, Amy only groaned moving back to grab her bag.

"I was just on my way to hang some charms myself, I just set my cake to cool so I should be able to finish it when I get back." She put her hand on her hip, glaring at the hedgehog knowingly. "and you ARE going to have some young man, it was made with love!"

Sonic put a hand over his chest, "I will endure it for you Ames, always." It wasn't Amy's fault, her cake was always a hit, he was just a hater.

"Sounds good," she chuckled, "oh, and if you wanted someone to bring chilidogs why not just talk to Shadow about it? You didn't stop talking about how good his were for a whole week." Amy smirked, "come to think of it, has he ever been to the festival before? I don't think there are any in Westopolis.. I meant to ask Rouge, maybe they could come this season!"

Something in Sonic snapped, a tight knot built up in his chest.

He forgot about Shadow.

Amy noticed Sonics sudden change in demeanor, puzzled. "Everything okay Soni--?"

"CANT CHAT MY REPUTATIONS ON THE LINE--" and without another word, the blue blur was out the door, the gust of wind following him. Amy blinked, looking back at her cake, which was miraculously still standing and cooled to the perfect tempature.

"Oh come on!"

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Shadow smiled to himself. Now this was much better.

The hybrid sat by a small pond, watching the frogs do their daily business, which he concluded was a lot of croaking.

The sun was beginning to set, just a little, he'd have to report back in the morning. The "joy" was almost overbearing... Taking a breath, he refused to let such a small thing ruin his quiet moment with the frogs. They didn't deserve to hear his grumblings anyways.

Just then, his ear twitched, the agent picked up a slight disturbance in the forest--it could've been easily mistaken to the light rustling of the leaves in the breeze, but his advanced hearing knew better. Standing up, he quickly moved out from the open.

What now?

Suddenly, a flash of blue zoomed passed where he hid behind the greenery. The whirlwind left behind ruffling Shadow's quills, causing his breath to hitch, just a little.

Sonic.

He didn't know when he started to chase him, he also didn't know why he did so... all he knew was that his heart needed to catch up.

He wanted too.

They zoomed around the trees, up the slopes and over mossy boulders. He wasn't sure if the blue hedgehog noticed him yet, but Sonic seemed to pick up speed, dashing under fallen trees and making all sorts of sharp turns.

Almost like he was trying to lose him.

Shadow growled, he was not going to lose.

He was so close, too close, but Sonic still stayed quicker and ever more nimble then the hybrid. They began to occasionally circle one another, again, and again, for no other reason but to glance at the other.

What was Sonic holding?

Sonic's foot got caught under a root, causing whatever dance was going on between the two to be cut abruptly. Shadow saw the item get flung out of his hands. The agent swiftly catching it before it could fall to the ground. He eyed it curiously before--

He couldn't believe it.

Shadow heard a small chuckle coming from the trapped hedgehog, who was working on freeing his foot.

"Ya know, it's bad luck if you see yours before it's hung." He smiled, walking over to the ebony hedgehog as he gently handed it back to him.

"I don't.." Shadow groaned, "understand?" Sonic eyed him curiously.

"I've been seeing those," he pointed to the wind chime like object in Sonic's hand. "all around town, what are they exactly?"

The hero hummed, quickly putting the pieces together at last, snapping his fingers. "Oh! Holy Gaia you really don't know do you?!"

Sonic's face never looked more punchable, but he just grumbled through it. Crossing his arms annoyed by his rivals endless teasing. How was he supposed to--?

Sonic raised his hands a bit with a laugh, careful with the mesh of unfinished weaved flowers and grass.

"Alright, alright, my bad," he and the hybrid started to walk through the woods, a complete one eighty from their previous chase. The noises of the forest slowly humming back to life.

"Amy mentioned you probably didn't know about the festival, but I had no idea you also didn't even know about one of Mobius's oldest traditions."

"Did you happen to forget that I was raised above the planet, not on it." Shadow corrected, "also if I recall, you didn't know what one of my holidays were either." Could this hedgehog be any more scatter brained?

Instead of the utter embarrassment the hybrid was expecting out of the hedgehog. Sonic instead looked right at him with a smile that rivaled all the stars. He attempted to step away, but his legs wouldn't move. They seemed to have a mind of their own today anyways...

"That's right! We made a deal, remember? I'm pulling my "teaching Shadow about a holiday pass" today!" he smirked, pulling the agent along as they jogged around the trees.

Shadow supposed it was, only fair, it's not like he had any plans. Rouge hadn't responded to his text in hours anyways.

"You were running somewhere? Here?"

Sonic nodded, "I have a secret place I like to make charms at." he looked back at the other behind him, "buuut you gotta promise not to tell anyone Shads. It's our secret now~"

Ignoring the wink sent his way, Shadow only nodded, and the duo disappeared into the brush.

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"Hey! Your picking this up quick Shadow! You sure you haven't done this before?"

"Hush, your going to make me lose my place."

There was a meadow, a meadow right in the center of the forest. It looked like something right out of a painting, or one of the nature textbooks Maria would have in her room and stare at for hours, wishing that it was in color.

She would've loved it here.

The hedgehogs sat under a giant willow tree, a flower bed surrounded them with different shades of small flowers. Tall green grass pressed below them under the shade, it took all of Shadows willpower not to stare at the scenery around him, instead it was just as Sonic instructed-- one loop through the next, and tighten, then again.

He finally understood now. These "hanging trinkets" were called, Mobian Suncharms. Through Sonic's crude-ish history lesson, he learned that at the end of every winter, Mobians would weaved together their own Suncharms to give as a gift, a "promise" to friends and family that they would be with them in the spring.

Sonic explained that, when you were done, you were traditionally supposed to hang them right outside said persons window. Without them seeing of course. The person would collect how many SunCharms they'd received at the end of the day, bringing them to a special festival where you would combine them to one big SunCharm, where you would then keep everyone's "promises" in your home until the Charm wilted.

"The food, games, and music was kinda added later I guess." Sonic explained, effortlessly weaving around the small green and red flowers in his hand. "Tails and I had ran into a festival when we were younger," he breathed a laugh, "we were so lost, no clue what was going on either."

Shadow hummed, listening as he glanced over to Sonics hands before readjusting his own weavings.

"I didn't really have any interest in it at first, we were just there for the free food mostly, but Tails, he begged me to try. His village had excluded him from it.." Sonic gripped his charm slightly. Shadow noticed and subconsciously leaned a little closer to the blue hedgehog.

"Why?"

Sonic glanced back at Shadow, his face... a little closer than he expected. He cleared his throat, sighing. "ah, well, you probably didn't know but.. his old village was convinced his Tails brought "bad luck" or some crap like that..." Sonic mumbled the last part, Shadow could tell he didn't like talking about it much. So he only nodded.

"I see, a shame, I always thought they were rather unique."

The hero blinked, chuckling a bit, "Man, Tails would freak if you said that to him." The hybrid chuckled back, glad he was able to lift Sonics spirits, just a little.

"Well, I am a bit of a hybrid myself." Shadow concluded.

"Hey so am I," Sonic snorted, referring to what Shadow could only guess was his abnormal speed. "We should start a club."

"Noted."

The silence was comforting, whatever sunlight was left peeping through the trees branches fell onto Sonics cobalt quills. It reminded him of the pond. Not that Shadow was staring-- no.

"The festival is gonna start soon." Sonic's voice broke the stillness, he didn't realize the blue hedgehog could sound that soft before.

Standing up, Sonic dusted himself off, looking down at his rival. "Can I see you there?"

"Of course, I wouldn't miss it." he smiled, "I'll finish mine and meet you tonight."

"Sounds like a plan." the hero gave him a quick thumbs up, holding Shadow's charm close to his peach chest and zooming away. Shadow supposed he'd get to see the finished product later then. They were running a little short on time, hanging them on the windows was out of the question now.

After a few more minutes, the hedgehog stood up, one arm holding a bundle of SunCharms. While the other, one Sonic helped him with earlier, he hung on the willow tree. It's light blue and yellow flowers perfectly weaved together. A blue stone at it's center.

"I promise, Maria." Through the spring, and for the rest of time.

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The festival was going just as planned, people from all over Mobius seemed to join together under the lights of the Sunset Heights plaza. Sonic waved toward his friends, who were all dressed up for the occasion. They held their individual SunCharms in bundles, some already started trying to find a way to piece them together, laughing and joking all the way. It warmed his heart.

"Sonic!" Tails called, giggling as his brother pulled him up into a hug. "Look how many Charms I got!"

The kit enthusiastically held up what seemed to be hundreds of SunCharms, Sonic could tell the kid was already figuring out a way to fit them together in his little genius brain.

"That's awesome bud! Maybe you could help me with mine next." Sonic held a whole bundle of SunCharms, being the literal hero of Mobius without a literal window FOR SunCharms ended with him being handed all of them at once as soon as he entered the plaza. Tails couldn't help but wheeze.

"Good luck with that Sonic." he winked. Cream and Charmy came running over as well.

"I can take those for you Mr. Sonic! We set up a table for us all near the fountain!" the rabbit smiled, helping Sonic walk over to set the SunCharms down.

"As emperor of Charmy Day, I herby also offer my assistance to you!" Charmy added, flying over to take some as well. Sonic smiled, these kids were awesome.

Vector sighed, "Charmy for the last time it's not Charmy Day." he chuckled, "Wow Sonic, you sure got your hands full there!"

Espio nodded from where he sat near the kids table, Sonic could only guess he self appointed himself as the child watcher as the other adults partied around. "Glad you could make it Sonic, and thank you for your charms."

"Thanks guys, no problem!" after setting his stuff down and finally resting his arms, he started to greet the others. Amy was already handing out slices of her strawberry shortcake. While Charmy had pulled Tails and Cream away to play games. Even Knuckles was here, and he looked like he was being "tormented" by a certain white bat.

"Rouge?" Sonic blinked surprised. "I didn't know you celebrated!"

"She didn't," Knuckles huffed, "But someone has big ears and heard me talking about it, now she won't leave me alone." Knuckles's muzzles was almost as red as his quills. Sonic assumed that was Rouge's doing.

"Heya blue," she took a sip of her drink before gently patting the echidnas head. "He invited me here since I was trying to get answers for a certain someone who didn't know about the holiday."

"Yeah, while you were on my island trying to steal my emerald!"

"Oh relax red, we made a mutual agreement to put aside our differences for tonight." she hummed, taking another sip out of her drink before Knuckles could put in another word.

Sonic never really thought about it, but Rouge was almost always in the city, probably for her whole life. He wondered if she was like Shadow, and was simply unaware of a part of Mobian culture because of it. Like Sonic was with, with.. oh yeah! Valentines Day!

"Well, either way, glad you guys are here! Wouldn't be the same without ya Knuckle head. Your gonna love it Rouge, everything's free tonight!"

"Now that's my kind of holiday!" she laughed, raising her glass to the hedgehog.

Leaving the couple to it, Sonic grabbed a drink, walking around the fountain greeting more people before eyeing a familiar dark hedgehog under the lights.

"Well, look who finally decided to show up." he couldn't help his tail from wagging, or the dumb smile that was probably on his face. Because oh my Gaia did Shadow clean up good.

The end of the winter brought its last chilly breeze, so many people had light coats or sweaters on. But Shadows collared shirt, leather jacket, freshly brushed quills, and eyeliner. Looked... nice. Yes, very nice.

"I said I'd be here." he said, in his, "did you literally forget I just told you" look. Sonic just sighed, "And I'm happy you are, because I get to give you this!" he pulled out a SunCharm from his quills, Shadow stared in awe at the sight.

It looked even better from when he watched Sonic make it under the willow tree. It was embedded with small black stones, the red and green flowers curled around them perfectly. There was even a few pressed flowers on there too, dangling from thin strings. A green rose, and a purple one too. He was definitely keeping those after his charm wilted for, educational purposes.

Shadow gently took the charm from him, holding his carefully to examine each little detail. He hoped his tail wasn't wagging too much...

"T-Thank you, Sonic." he forced out, still infatuated with his gift. Sonic only smiled dumby in response, he wanted to make sure Shadow's first SunCharm was extra special.

"Here..." The hybrid pulled his SunCharm from his own quills, not really watching Sonics expression as he handed it to him. He wasn't expecting much of a response other than a "Thanks Shadow!" or even "Aw for me? You shouldn't have."

But he was met with absolute silence.

In fact, Shadow hadn't even realized until then as well, but the whole plaza was, in fact dead silent.

Heart picking up pace fast. Shadow looked around confused out of his mind, which wouldn't be the first time that day anyways. He shifted his attention to Sonic, and he was going to ask him what the hell was going on but--

Sonic's face was beet red.

"Sonic? What's wrong?" Why was it that every time he tried to celebrate anything it ended up going horrible and utterly wrong in his favor--

"S-Shadow, you gave me a E-Eternal Rose.." Sonic swallowed, gesturing to the Yellow Rose, the one with the red tips. That dangled innocently by a string. Shadow didn't know what else to add on Sonics' SunCharm so he just-- he just added it? What in the world is happening right now.

Shadow bit back a hiss, trying so hard to not let all the eyes scare him away. He was stronger than that, right? Whatever offence he just caused Sonic and all of Mobius apparently could be solved with a simple apology and a swift move to a different continent and--

"It's a declaration of an eternal love, to like your.. uh, l-life partner?" Sonic chuckled awkwardly. Watching as Shadows face twisted from anguish to pure flushed embarrassment.

"I-It's okay! You didn't know! It's not a big deal or anything--" Sonic was stammering, people were whispering. People were watching.

He wasn't strong enough.

He took a hold of the traitorous rose and snapped it from the SunCharm, pulling his chaos emerald before the whole plaza was engulfed into a green light.

"C-CHAOS CONTROL!"

.

.

.

Why couldn't the rose have meant nothing. Absolutely, nothing. He could've been enjoying himself with everyone else, in the back, probably in the corner. But still, nonetheless better than this.

But no, it had to mean something, and that something was the most prominent something of all.

A declaration of love of all things.

He gripped the rose in his hand, unwilling to shatter it, because what good would that do? Why didn't that lady tell him it meant something like that before he went ahead and bought it along with her two bags of grass.

Maybe he should just sleep under this willow tree for the night.

Suddenly, he heard a voice call to him. The last voice he wanted to hear right now...

"Shadow! Dude?! Where did you go!?" Sonic called to him from somewhere within the forest. Shadow knew it was cowardly to hide, it was weak to hide. He would be severely scolded for this behavior back on the Ark.

But he wasn't on the Ark.

And no amount of testing prepared him for this.

Maria's SunCharm seemed to make the most noise, the blue stone he had placed in the middle mere hours earlier made a whistling noise through the cracks around its uneven sides in the breeze. He grumbled at it, begging for it to stop--

"There you are!" Sonic peered under through the long hair like vines that hung from the tree, separating them like curtains.

Shadow yelped, quills sticking up protectively. "L-Leave me be.." he sped walked around the tree, a determined Sonic behind him.

Kicking up his air shoes, Shadow blasted away, the forest blanketing him in darkness from the moon. The blue light that bounced off of the trees following him..

They raced once again, similar to earlier, but instead of it being filled by curiousness, it held the unknown-- something that only filled the hybrid with dread.

He hated it. He hated not knowing, he despised running away, to many complicated emotions... gritting his teeth he swerved around. Face to face with the hedgehog, who wasn't expecting him to stop.

"Shad--"

"Fight me."

Sonic blinked, "What?! Now--?"

But he was already blocking a kick, and it was Shadow's turn to play chase.

They duked it out for what seemed like forever, kicks and punches coming left and right. Swerving under and over trees and rocks. They gave it their all, occasionally circling... just to glance at the other.

Sonic would lose him in the darkness, and Shadow would seemingly reappear from it, tackling him to the ground. The blue hedgehog in return would light up the forest in a dazzling light, chaos energy flowing through him.

They rolled down a hill, gripping the other tightly before they stopped. Breathing heavily, Sonic and Shadow collapsed side by side before looking up into the starry night. The moon greeting them in its pale light.

"S-Shadow?" Sonic panted, looking over at the coughing hedgehog. Who used to rest of his energy to look away.

"I-I'm" Shadow swallowed heavily, "I'm sorry."

Sonic laughed, but it sounded more like a gentle wheeze. "That you lost? I mean you said it not me-- OW!" He hissed, as Shadow elbowed him.

"You know what I meant.."

"Y-yeah.. I know."

They stayed silent for a while longer, the night filled with nothing but their breaths. This time, however, Shadow broke it.

"I didn't know.."

Sonic smiled, "No kidding."

Shadow grumbled, holding his face in his hands remembering the moment. He dragged them down his muzzle before hesitantly looked over to Sonic, who was covered in branches and leaves.

"I had purchased it this morning.. a older woman was selling some I supposed." he recalled, the flower was rather pricey now that he thinks about it.

The hero hummed, "Those flowers are extremely rare, couples usually put them on their SunCharms when their expecting to marry in the spring." he explained, "It's just for good luck or whatnot, the fact she just happen to have one is crazy."

"That would've been nice to know.." The agent looked away, face absolutely flushed.

Sonic sat up, reaching a hand out to help the other up. They sat there for a minute before the blue hedgehog held his hand out again. "May I see it?"

"S-sure.." Shadow handed him the flower that singlehandedly ruined his night. But Sonic looked at it with utter awe.

"It's beautiful."

The hybrid hummed, staring at Sonic for a while as he examined the flora.

"I should've explained the flower color meanings to you man.. I'm so sorry. Guess It just slipped my mind."

"Wouldn't be the first time you've forgotten something." Shadow minorly teased, correcting his gaze away from the hedgehog.

"Har har," Sonic nudged him, coming a little closer to show the flower to Shadow. He smelled like wet grass, or the air before the rain.

"You see the yellow? That could mean multiple things, but usually, it means happiness, or friendship." Shadow nodded along, looking at where Sonics gloved fingers pointed on the glass.

"The red tips signify that friendship becoming, something more," He chuckled, awkwardly, "Like, falling in love, I guess."

Shadow pulled his own legs closer to hug himself, looking away once again, he didn't know why he felt so.. vulnerable. When he let himself become this way around Sonic specifically, it happened over time he supposed.. he didn't care, he just wanted to be.

"I didn't.. mean to embarrass you, on your holiday no less." Shadow cleared his throat. "and I shouldn't have left so suddenly.. that was very rude of me and--"

"Dude," Sonic placed a hand on top of Shadows. "It's okay.. I promise."

He was so close, too close, they ended up resting their foreheads together. Closing their eyes and just sat there. Something inside of him wished it could last forever.

Sonic hummed, breaking the contact, "You never finished your SunCharm by the way.." emerald eyes stared back at him in the night. Shadow couldn't help but stare back.

"What..?"

Pulling out the SunCharm Shadow made for him, he pointed at the broken string with a smile. "Think you could fix it for me?"

Shadow blinked, "But I thought--"

"It doesn't have to mean anything Shads, who cares! It's just a pretty flower," Sonic rolled his eyes, "You made it and I want to keep it, I don't give a damn about what anyone else thinks."

There was something about Sonic that had always fascinated Shadow... he supposed he'd never fully understand, and for once, he was fine with that.

He tied the Eternal Rose back in place, the moon reflecting off its surface. Sonic glimmered with a happiness that Shadow momentarily thought rivaled even the flower. He knew somewhere, Sonic was right, that what the flower meant was just a means of symbolism... nothing more.

But he supposed it was true in a sense, Shadow knew he was eternal.. and, as much as he didn't like to admit it--even to himself, he found himself caring, a little too much about this stupid blue hedgehog that just so happened to run right into his life.

And if Sonic saw a promise of anything in that flower, Shadow would keep it, until the end of it all.

Sonic chuckled, glancing toward Shadow, "What? Do I still got dirt on my face?"

The agent grumbled, looking away, "We should head back." He stood up, he had some apologizing to do after all.

"You mean you still wanna go? Even after--"

"It's like you said, it doesn't have to mean anything." Shadow smiled, happy that Sonic smiled with him. Helping Shadow dust himself off and fix his collar. "Happy to hear that Shads." He winked.

They stood there for a moment, before Sonic playfully shoved him to the side. Taking off, "You owe me a dance! And chilidogs, faker!"

Shadow grunted, recentering himself before blasting off after his rival back to Sunset Heights. Maybe the night was full of unsaid promises, and maybe now wasn't the right time, but whatever the two had was special.

That was a promise.

[butterflydm]

wot deeper dive 2x8: what was meant to be

So excited to take a scene-by-scene look at this epic episode. This post will be dealing only with show spoilers and there will be another post later on that includes spoilers from the books.

I really loved season one, but season two has been richer, deeper, and so emotionally powerful. Have loved it so much. Posts that I'm planning to do in the next few weeks: I want to do a post covering each main character's s2 journey, I'm gonna do some speculation for s3, and I've got some posts planned on the imprisonment/control themes and the 'alone-vulnerable; together-shieldwall' theme that was so beautifully realized in the finale, and more.

But that's for the future.

For now, let's get into the show-only deep dive!

I don't think I really talked about the opening scene in my previous posts about the episode, but I really enjoyed it! I hope that future seasons continue the theme of having the final cold-open of the season be something from the Age of Legends.

2. What they did with showing the close relationship with Lews Therin and Ishamael really plays well with how Ishamael feels a kinship with Mat and thus believes that Mat is vulnerable to the same kind of philosophy and influences that Ishamael fell victim to -- he sees that Rand and Mat are close in the ways that he was close with Lews Therin, and thus believes that Mat being Rand's downfall is what is most likely to tip Rand over to the dark (alongside Egwene, who is our modern-age Lanfear counterpart imo). I really love what they've done with this relationship and with how Ishamael essentially tricked himself into believing that he understood Mat when he was really projecting himself onto Mat, just as he's been projecting Lews Therin onto Rand.

And we get the symmetry of Ishamael asking for death here and being denied, and then Rand killing him at the end of the episode, like he wanted.

3. We get confirmation here that LTT sealed the rest of the Forsaken first and Ishamael is last. This is where we get another name drop: Sammael. So the names that we have for sure are: Moghedien, Graendal, and Sammael (plus Ishamael and Lanfear, of course).

4. It looks like the other Aes Sedai here are all men, which ties us into the discussion/argument that Lews and Latra were having in the 1x8 cold open.

5. "They say this seal is so strong, not even I could break it." And while the seals do appear to be weakened by this modern point in time, we saw the effort that Ishamael went to in 2x4 to break out Lanfear. He did that six more times in this episode before he went to confront Rand. He was worn out, y'all.

I do think it's interesting the ways that Ishamael's nihilism interacts with his behavior with Rand. Once he realizes that Rand is here, he knows that his plan for turning Rand to the Shadow has essentially failed. Because Rand's friends have come to help him, and because of Lanfear's betrayal, Ishamael knows that it's over. And part of him is grateful when Rand kills him, and relieved. He doesn't really believe that he's going to reach Rand on that tower and turn him to the Dark -- that's why he sets two back-up plans into motion: a) releasing the Forsaken and b) trying to get Rand gentled.

6. Lews Therin's resigned apologies to Ishamael here for trapping him into a Fate Worse Than Death vs Mat's frantic apologies to Rand after he accidentally stabs him with the dagger from Shadar Logoth -- Lews Therin has been forced into this because of Ishamael's choices, while Mat was tricked into hurting Rand (both here and back in 2x6, when he 'abandons' Rand).

And I love the pan-up and the reveal that the "Eye of the World" was the place where Rand and Moiraine were tricked to go in 1x8 to free Ishamael from his seal.

7. I missed the credits! Though I absolutely understand the team prioritizing getting a little more screen time in each episode, since they were forced to choose. The golden threads bursting out when Josha's name appears always give me chills.

8. Our episode proper starts with the Whitecloaks planning their attack on Falme. The way that the Whitecloaks get introduced with that fade-in from light is very intriguing. I'm not a military expert but Bornhald's strategy sounds pretty solid to me: non-military expert, lol. We can see that they're hiding in the jungle for now, and they plan to make the assault as quick as possible because they have to take out the 'witches' first or any assault is doomed.

The Whitecloaks estimate there are 28 damane with the Seanchan at this time.

I really like how we see the Whitecloaks' ranks shown by how their armor is designed. The costume design on this show has been so striking, this season even more than s1. There's an almost stained-glass quality to the bands on the armor, which helps enhance that 'church/inquisition' vibe that we are going to also get with the children swinging incense.

9. "But we have something they don't."

haha, you don't know how long it took me to realize that Bornhald was implying "we have the Light on our side". Which, funnily enough, the Seanchan ALSO believe! Both sides believe that they are the ones fighting in the name of the Light, not suspecting that here comes Rand al'Thor with the steel chair (of the Light).

But I really love how drenched this episode is in light, after a season that has been very dark (emotionally and frequently literally).

10. "The Watchers on the Waves called for help, letters to every queen, every king in the world, to the Amyrlin Seat herself, begging, but no one came."

This 100% explains the reaction of the people of Falme at the end of the episode, imo. They have been begging for help and no one has come, so they gave up hope and are just doing their best to survive each day. And then the Seanchan are driven out in a matter of hours and they see that huge-ass dragon on the tower (and this version of the story does have people knowing what a dragon looks like -- the book that Rand looks at in season one with the Karaethon Cycle has a dragon sketch in the pages (at 17:38 in episode 1x5 -- there is SO MUCH subtle lore in 1x5, y'all) -- so they know what it means when they see the dragon on the tower). They know exactly who saved them from their recent oppression.

It also ties into a theme from the books, where the different nations are so wrapped up in their own problems that they don't see the big looming apocalypse that is coming for everyone. Everyone was so busy with their own problems that they ignored the messages from Falme.

11. "These strangers are slavers and murderers. We fight them because we must."

Where's that "Heartbreaking: the worse person you know just made a great point" meme? lol. honestly, that's something that the show has been doing really well! Even people who are doing terrible things are not 100% terrible and are capable of making genuinely good arguments. And they believe in themselves and their cause. The Whitecloaks and the Seanchan are both scarier when we are seeing the True Believers in the cause.

12. And Dain brings up the prophecy here that "in Falme's greatest moment of need, the Dragon will return to us" which really gives me "King Arthur" vibes (which is fitting! one of the cool themes in the book is heroic archetypes and how the wheel turns myth into legend, and we also see the Heroes of the Horn bringing that theme into the show in the major way in this episode). So, once again, the people of Falme are going to know exactly who to credit for their big rescue and seem pretty primed to become strong supporters of the Dragon Reborn, given the information that we've gotten about the city.

Bornhald dismisses prophecy in general as "the lies of long-dead witches" and we intercut into Lanfear leading Rand & co through the Ways, which is a beautiful transition. That was excellent.

13. A lot of characters have mentioned the Falme prophecy but I don't think anyone has mentioned it to Rand, specifically. He's not coming to Falme to fulfill prophecy -- he's coming to try to save Egwene. Much like Mat's reaction to Rand was very much colored by how he abandoned Rand at the Waygate, Rand's reactions with Egwene are colored by how he abandoned her at the end of s1. We know why Rand made that choice, of course, but now he's seeing the unintended consequences of that choice.

14. Lanfear's full plan gets revealed over the course of this episode, not in a super in-your-face way, but clear enough to put all the pieces together of exactly how long she's been planning to screw over Ishamael and the rest of the Forsaken (... since the moment she woke up and learned that LTT's new incarnation was around). Some of the details of this plan go into spoilers, so I'll put it in the later post but, in brief: she's manipulated various pieces on the board to use Ishamael's own plans against him -- trapping Egwene and Nynaeve in Falme was an Ishy plan, but Lanfear was able to use Egwene's presence in Falme as a way to get Rand motivated to want to go there to rescue her and, incidentally, fulfill a teeny-tiny prophecy. After Rand killed Ishamael and was proclaimed the Dragon, she was planning to have Doman dump the rest of the Forsaken in the ocean and then she would have plenty of time to manipulate seduce her dearest Lews Therin Rand into loving her again.

And it almost worked! Well, I don't think seducing Rand a second time would have gone as well as she was hoping, but most of the plan really worked out for her.

15. It looks like the show just revealed here that Lanfear also has the Talent of being able to see fellow channelers even when they aren't embracing the Source. ("I can see it in you.")

I love Lan protectively trying to step in front of Moiraine even though he has zero chance against Lanfear. It's giving real "bless him, he tries" vibes.

Lanfear just yeeting them out onto the beach cracks me up.

It also was really great in terms of how it set Moiraine up not as one of the main players fighting in the battle, but as support from the side, smoothing the way. When Rand and the rest of them come down from the tower and are greeted by the grateful people of Falme, none of those people will know that Moiraine and Lan had anything to do with Rand's success. It feels like such a natural progression of her role -- in s1, she was the driving force that led them all to the Eye of the World... and that ended up being a massive screw-up. This time, they all find their own ways to Falme, and none of our main six young heroes are there because they're planning on fulfilling prophecy or fighting the Last Battle. They're there to save one of their own (first Egwene, and then Rand). "Think not of glory but of salvation". They didn't quote it, but the thought is there in the action of what happened in the episode.

16. "How can you think I'd ever trust you again?"

"I'm the only one who actually cares about you, Rand. Everyone else -- Ishamael, Moiraine -- they just care about what you can do."

Lanfear attempting to use her manipulating wiles on Rand. Of course, at the end of the episode, he's going to get a big reminder that she's incredibly wrong and there are a bunch of people who care about him for who he is, but even in this moment, he doesn't look like he's falling for it. And Rand didn't walk away from his friends at the end of s1 because he believed that they didn't care about him. He walked away from them because he believed that he was dangerous to them.

(and she tried to use this tactic on Rand in 2x6 as well, but she failed there too, though she may believe that she succeeded, because Rand does still extend trust to Moiraine in 2x7 when she asks him why he was leaving Cairhien and he tells her everything that he knows/believes, including very much implying that he thinks Lanfear wants to kill him after he's been proclaimed Dragon)

Lanfear lost Rand's trust when he found out who she really was and that she had been manipulating him for months. And I think she's massively underestimating what she would need to do in order to earn any of that trust back.

17. After the Maidens warn Perrin that they are getting Bad Vibes and are pretty sure that today is going to be filled with people getting killed, Perrin asks Hopper to stay behind, trying to keep him safe. Oh, Perrin, that never works. And Hopper has just as much right to be in the fight as you do.

18. Lanfear accidentally screws over her own plan because she can't bring herself not to gloat before her future husband Rand kills Ishamael. This is the big moment when we see how much Ishamael and Lanfear's plans are diverging from each other (and Ishamael sees it too). Ishamael had been planning to play the long game with Rand, keep him away from Falme until he was ready to be turned to the Shadow. Now Lanfear has jumped the gun and brought Rand at a time when Ishamael only has two of Rand's friends in hand (Egwene and Mat) and even those two have not been broken yet. He's not ready for Rand to be here! There's still so much work to be done!

19. After this conversation, Ishamael is aware that he's potentially fighting a losing battle. But he doesn't give up -- he sends in Fain to try to accelerate Mat's corruption; he prepares Suroth for the possibility of gentling Rand. He won't give up without a fight.

Ishamael does sound so intense when he talks about how Rand isn't going to "choose us".

20. ...is Lanfear wearing a dragon earcuff? I think she might be wearing a dragon earcuff/earring. That is not subtle.

I like that it seems like Lanfear believes that she's tricked Ishamael, at least in part, just like she believed that she'd tricked Rand a lot more successfully than she had (since he was very much still lumping her together with Ishamael when talking to Mat and Moiraine).

21. ...I don't ever really have much to say about the fighty-fight part of battles. The image of the Whitecloaks galloping out of the incense/fog was pretty cool.

22. Nynaeve really does have a very rough go of it in this episode. While she does manage to help, that help is in the realm of "get Elayne to the tower so that Elayne can do something". And while I understand the frustration from her fans... her block needs to actually be a problem for us to understand why she wants to get rid of it. This episode made her block a problem, one that she wasn't able to overcome at the last second when it was desperately needed. Much like Mat's low ebb this season was intentional so that we could get the amazing high of the Horn scene, Nynaeve is entering a low ebb. At the beginning of the season, she was showered in praise and special attention that she didn't want. Now she wants the power that had earned her all that praise and she can't reach it (this is similar to how Rand's lack of training needs to actually be a problem so that we understand why he needs to get some training).

23. Oof, it's hard to watch Renna with Egwene. We do get clarification that the dark facepaint is for going into battle.

Renna cutting off Egwene's braid... much like the tree she forced Egwene to burn down, she's trying to attack something that she knows brings Egwene comfort.

Egwene's eyes when she's feeling at her shorn braid. Baby!

24. I've been finding it interesting to think about What's Up with Padan Fain. So far this season, he's stayed within Ishamael's orders (to our knowledge) but when Ishamael orders him to give the dagger to Mat, we hear the whispers of it calling to him. Once Ishamael is dead, does that free Fain to follow the call of the dagger? Because when Mat was under the influence of the dagger, he still was not a fan of the Shadow. Different kinds of evil. The evil of Shadar Logoth scared the Trollocs enough that they weren't willing to chase our people into the city. I will keep an eye on future developments!

25. Poor Mat has been having a Fucking Time of it. First, he has to watch Rand leave, knowing that he's apparently fated to kill his best friend with an evil dagger. Then he gets hit on the head and wakes up across the continent? With a scary lady who insults him? Then ol' flame-eyes is here and his eyes aren't flame anymore and Mat is just so exhausted and tired and he takes this tea that gets REAL trippy and depressing and tells him that he's destined to be awful forever. And then he's locked up alone in a room. And then... Padan Fain shows up???? With the dagger from Shadar Logoth?????

The one Mat is destined to kill Rand with?

Like... he has been having a time of it.

26. Oof, hard to watch Nynaeve torturing Seta. I understand why Elayne needs to keep looking away. Nynaeve wants so badly to find Egwene and save her. We actually get a lot of ruthlessness from the ladies in this episode -- Nynaeve with Seta; Egwene and Renna; and Moiraine's willingness to "kill a thousand innocents if there's even a chance [Rand] will live". But I think the show did a good job of showing you why each of these characters is driven to be so ruthless at this moment in time.

27. Rand confirms with his own eyes that Egwene is here in Falme, as he sees her and the other damane being led out of the kennels. And he sees the gag in her mouth -- I wonder if part of the reason for that part of the costuming was to make it easy for Rand to see from far away part of the indignities that are being forced on Egwene (obviously, he also saw what horrible conditions she was enduring in her cell back when Lanfear showed him Egwene, but now he knows for certain that what Lanfear was showing him was true).

28. Mat and Fain's conversation with Fain here is interesting because I think Mat is figuring it out -- so many people keep telling him over and over that he's destined to do the stupid thing; that he's worthless; that he's going to be like his dad; that he abandons his friends. Padan Fain is saying the exact same thing that Liandrin was saying (you abandoned your friends for the dagger). Having his old peddler from back home showing up to say the same things that the Aes Sedai who had kept him captive for months had said... that's kinda suspicious, bro. That kinda seems like someone else is supplying the script, bro. Because Mat is not in the same kind of despair here when he's listening to Fain as he was when he was listening to Liandrin. He's paying attention to who the messenger is (and who sent the messenger), not just the message itself.

The first time through watching this scene, it can feel like Mat is trying to convince himself when he smiles at Fain and tells him that he's not going to touch the dagger. But... he doesn't touch it. Instead, he inspects the room and comes up with a plan to escape that doesn't involve touching the dagger. It wasn't just bravado, when he was talking to Fain. He meant it. All these people, they keep telling Mat that they know him better than he knows himself. That they are the ones who really know his inner darkness. That they can guess what he's going to do next.

And Mat... he decides right here, I think, that he is going to prove them wrong. Maybe he WAS always terrible in his past lives? Well, then he'll fucking do better in this one. He makes the decision to do better BEFORE he learns that his past lives weren't rotten, and I think that's so important.

29. Moiraine and Lan's scene here is very sweet. I think this was a really sweet capstone to Lan's journey through the season and an affirmation of Moiraine trusting and allowing Lan and Rand to help her at the end of the last episode. Though the main culmination of the "alone we are vulnerable, together we are a shieldwall" comes in the fight against Ishamael, Moiraine has been very much a parallel with Rand this season in how she's been pushing people away so that she can face the danger alone, so her literally allowing Lan to share in her burden is a lovely little illustration of that same point. Plus the weaves and music here are just gorgeous. I really do love the intimacy here, between a man and woman who are fundamentally connected but not in a sexual or romantic way.

Meanwhile, Lan's journey goes back to a similar point as Mat's, I think, in that he accepts the idea that Moiraine views him as inferior and says he wants to help her anyway, before he gets rewarded with learning that she sees him not as an equal but as better than her. "Okay, what if this horrible thing, this thing that I don't want to believe could be true... what if it IS true and then I keep on doing the right thing anyway?"

Though I've never had the issue with Lan's storyline that I feel like I've seen some other book readers have. The only time his story felt 'slow' to me was through my first watch of 2x4 and even that changed when I did my rewatch and saw how much we were getting told about Alanna & her Warders and how it was leading up to Alanna getting folded into all the big plans. But, yeah, my main interest in Lan was never how many enemies he could kill per minute and the show has made him a much more interesting character to me than the books did.

30. I suspect all this 'getting the Horn' stuff might have been expanded on if we'd gotten ten episodes but there's enough information there to make it clear that Lanfear (as 'Selene') gave them the Horn so that her future devoted husband Rand would get his special toy before he fought Ishamael. Heists can be fun but we did get the info a couple of episodes ago that the Horn was barely being guarded, so that also tracks with it being easy for a 'slave' and a 'guard' to be able to sneak in and grab it.

...the Seanchan uniform actually looks really hot on Ingtar.

31. Perrin finds out here that Egwene is in Falme, and he instantly pivots to that information -- Egwene has been captured by the Seanchan; we have to help Egwene. We know that Perrin has been worried that all of them being isolated away from each other makes them vulnerable and here is proof! Obviously, if Egwene is here, then she has to be the priority over the Horn.

"The Horn of Valere summons the dead heroes of the past. It's the key to the Dragon winning the Last Battle."

Yeah, the show was very clear about what the Horn does. Even if you miss Ingtar's line on an initial watch, a rewatch would instantly clear it up (especially with the knowledge of what it does when Mat uses it). The fascinating thing is that Ingtar NEVER SAYS that the Dragon needs to use it, but that's clearly what Perrin assumes (and a lot of show-only reactors assumed it too, and were surprised by Mat being able to use it).

I like Loial's little speech. He shames Ingtar right out of his determination to leave the city with the Horn.

32. The way that Renna and Egwene's power struggle comes to a head in this episode was really effective I think.

We see Egwene not being able to bring herself to attack until she sees the Whitecloaks, and she takes care to place her fireball where it will only hit Whitecloaks and not any cilivians.

33. I have to admit, the view that certain book fans have that Rand did nothing in this episode are baffling (Nynaeve didn't do 'nothing' either, but both she and Rand ARE going to, I'm sure, seek ways in the new season to do more because they were both clearly frustrated by being 'blocked' from what they wanted to do). Rand did less than he wanted to do, because he got shielded -- motivation for him to want to search out some training next season, because there were several moments this season when his lack of training has been pointed out! -- but in both the Turak scene and the Ishamael scene, Rand ends the fight almost effortlessly (once he's free to do so, in the Ishy scene).

Turak and his guards stood literally no chance against Rand -- he raised his chin and looked, and over a dozen people died (but only the ones with weapons, not the Voice who wasn't a threat). I'm sorry, that is power. The idea that Rand indulging in a sword fight would have shown more power than what he actually did is ridiculous. He would have been a cat playing with a mouse instead of just killing it (and every show-only reactor that I've watched so far has had a BIG reaction to Rand doing this).

We've been shown throughout this season with the Forsaken that the less effort channeling takes and the more casual that you are with it, the more powerful you are. And that's exactly what Rand shows in this scene. Not only does he create and send the projectiles, they are precisely aimed to only target combatants.

Which means that Rand gets to see another aspect of Seanchan culture here -- the main slaves of a High Lord kills themselves when their lord dies. It really does show how deeply the brainwashing goes in Seanchan culture. And you can see that Rand is disturbed by the violence that he just did, but he has to move on, so he does.

34. I really do love how Josha embodies the physicality of Rand's channeling. He does move to channel but it feels very natural, like an extension of himself. It was that way in s1 as well. Rand channeling just... idk it hits different for me than any of the other channelers we've seen, as beautiful as the weaves can be.

35. "The Forsaken fought amongst themselves as much as they fought the Dragon," feels like a very important note for s3 -- the six Forsaken that Ishamael released are not going to be going after Rand together. Just as Lanfear ended up undermining Ishamael's plans, with the goal of killing him, getting rid of the other Forsaken, and living happily ever after with Lews Therin Rand, the other Forsaken will each have their own agenda too. So it's not complete doom and despair that they've all been released.

36. So even as Lanfear is making plans to dump the rest of the 'Chosen' in the ocean, Ishamael is busy at work releasing each of them, one by one. We learn here that Lanfear has been manipulating events in Moiraine's storyline from the very beginning of the season.

Ishamael brushing the dust of the remaining seals from his hands as he talks to Suroth: a+, lol. But to make matters even worse for him, he learns here that Turak is dead and the Horn has been stolen. And everything was looking so rosy for him before Lanfear showed up!

Ishamael's "shit, Lanfear betrayed us" back-up plans:

step 1: free the rest of the Chosen

step 2: get Rand shielded ASAP

step 3: Maybe seeing Mat and Egwene in dire straits will be enough to turn Rand to the Shadow? (it's confirmed here that Ishamael made sure to have Egwene ordered to the tower where "the whole city can see her")

*fails*

step 4: okay, we'll gentle him and then work on breaking him once he's less dangerous

*fails*

step 5: maybe I just kill him?

*fails*

step 6: well, guess I'll die. At least I screwed over Lanfear on my way out. The rest of the Forsaken will have to handle things from now on.

37. I love Mat working out a way to use the dagger without touching it. Also it kinda cracks me up that he ties the dangerous thing to a bedpost because... um... Lanfear tied Rand to a... I think that's maybe only funny to me. lol

We see here that Mat understands how the dagger works, probably a lot better than Ishamael did or Fain does. It nearly killed him last season! He's aware of how dangerous it is... but also how useful it can potentially be at the moment.

And I love that Rand's stubborn 'ACTUALLY, Mat is amazing and one of the best people who has ever lived, so jot that down' attitude from 1x7 gets proven correct here. Rand knew Mat better than anyone else, from what we saw at various points in s1, and now his certainty that Mat Is Good, Actually gets to be proven (including, very importantly, Mat himself... until the Accidental Stabbening gives Mat a brand-new guilt complex).

38. We can see here that the fireballs coming down from the damane in the tower are hitting ordinary citizens as well as the Whitecloaks -- not everyone is being as careful as Egwene.

She sees it too -- that's what makes her spit out her gag and refuse to help anymore. And this moment (among some others) really sells why this addition to the costuming works because Egwene actively and literally reclaims her voice here.

And the Whitecloaks attack on the tower work, killing many of the damane and sul'dam at the top of the tower.

39. While earlier, we saw that some of the Whitecloaks were helping pull civilians out of the way, once again, not everyone on their side is being that careful -- the Whitecloak archers shoot Seta, dressed as a damane, but they also shoot Elayne, dressed as an ordinary citizen. Both the Seanchan and the Whitecloaks are causing innocent people to get caught in between them and die.

And I do think it's clear here that Nynaeve is overwhelmed and scared, not angry. That's why she isn't able to reach the power. Her block is now officially a problem for her, one that she has a very good reason to try to get it fixed next season. This is a similar lesson to what they've been showing us in Rand's storyline: raw power isn't enough. You also need control, or other people will be able to control you.

40. And that ties into what Egwene does too -- both Mat and Egwene think outside the box in order to find clever solutions to their problems in this episode and not be limited to what their captors thinks they're capable of. They both choose an unlisted option.

She seizes control over herself and her situation, because she understands her power now. Egwene, Mat, and Moiraine all reclaim themselves after having gone through a long, rough period of being put in a situation where they feel inadequate and broken down.

And Egwene figured it out by being clever and putting together the information. We also get more confirmation here that only channelers can see weaves.

41. Reunions! Mat and Perrin's reunion here is very sweet. It's also much more straightforward than the more complex and fraught (though just as sweet) relationship between Mat and Rand. Perrin and Mat share a good long hug! Mat holds his shoulder for a moment! But when the hugging is gone, they pull away from each other and don't constantly stay all over each other like Rand and Mat were in their initial reunion scene in 2x6 (or like Rand and Mat will do in their upcoming scene, post-stabbening). So I love that we see that Mat and Perrin are very good friends and they love each other and... and it's not quite the same as Mat's friendship with Rand.

42. Poor Egwene really is so burnt out, emotionally, by her experiences and so traumatized, and we can really see how exhausted she is by everything that happened. She needs some real processing time.

I'm glad that we got Rand's apology to Egwene here, even if I think she's maybe only half-processing it at the moment.

43. I love how quickly Mat gives out the info of "Rand is alive, he's here, he's headed to help Egwene" to Perrin here. And that he takes another dig at Rand's hair, lol. When Rand regrows his hair, Mat gets the credit for it, lol. I also miss Rand's curls, Mat! You are not alone!

44. Ishamael is talking here like he's knows that it's over. He does not expect his appeal to Rand here to work -- like he told Lanfear, it's too soon. Egwene isn't broken. Mat isn't broken. He doesn't even HAVE Nynaeve or Perrin in hand. "Maybe next time it'll be different," Ishamael says, because he already knows that his primary goal of turning the Dragon to the Dark has failed.

I love the echoes of this scene to the one from the cold-open.

45. "You're his only hope" vs "betrayer of hope". I talked about this in one of my earlier posts I think, but the contrast still hits me hard.

Here we have Ishamael, blaming Lews Therin for his fall to the dark (and the stories say that it was LTT's 'fault' that Lanfear turned to), but it wasn't LTT's fault. It was Ishamael's choice. And it's Mat's choices that make him different from Ishamael.

But, yeah, this is another of those things that just gets extra weight to Mat and Rand's friendship vs Mat and Perrin's or Rand and Perrin's.

46. Dain and Perrin meet on the battlefield and get to fight back-to-back for a moment. I think everything with Perrin & the Whitecloaks & Hopper is well-done, but it's tough to talk about. Hopper does get a lovely send-off, as he see him leaping the way that he did when he told Perrin his name. Also, the tension between Dain and Perrin the next time they see each other (narratively, they have to see each other again, with all this set-up) is going to be fantastic.

Hopper's last sending to Perrin is so beautiful. And it's so easy to understand Perrin's rage here, just as it was easy to understand Egwene's need to kill Renna.

47. I like how Elayne (in agony!) is doing her best to help Nynaeve get to a place where she can help Elayne. She really takes charge of the situation and is able to bring a level of calm to it, even when she's under significant distress herself.

Nynaeve is trying so hard to channel here and she can't even embrace the Source. I do think that her 'block' probably got some reinforcement when her most recent use of the Power directly led to Ryma's capture.

(speaking of Ryma, since we don't see her in the tower or on the ships, it's entirely possible that, as a brand-new damane, she was still in the kennels and can get freed after the battle here is done; I would like that for her very much and - if they do decide to have the Wondergirls go back to the White Tower, Ryma could be the one to take them there, as she delivers the news about the Seanchan. That's one of the few reasons that I can see for the Wondergirls to think it will be safe for them to go back to Tar Valon, after they hear Moiraine's news, tbh)

But, yeah, I'm glad that Nynaeve can't just Bruce Banner "I'm always angry" at her problems. That her block is now something that is causing her distress in times when she desperately needs to be able to channel.

48. Mat blowing the Horn is such a beautiful moment. Time slowing and the music changing and the effects of how the Heroes appear. This is a moment of intense despair for everyone and Mat blowing the Horn here turns everything around. I think they did a really good job in making this the turning point of the episode. Mat blowing the Horn did bring back the hope of winning. It didn't win the battle, but it gave back hope. Instead of Mat being ~just like~ Ishamael, he is instead Ishamael's opposite. Instead of betraying hope, he creates it.

And it's such a joyous moment. Mat gets to have his self-worth affirmed by an outside source, gets to feel connected to something bigger than himself, after feeling alone for most of the season. It's really beautiful.

Just... gorgeous. And when Mat remembers and is able to get that validation that he is not destined to be a 'damn prick', just like his father, that he isn't rotten to his core... witnessing him going through that moment is so lovely. Cannot say enough good things about it, A+ television.

49. We also see that, after Mat says that he 'remembers', that he's handling his weapon differently, more familiarly, and he can now speak the Old Tongue. So we can see the impact that remembering his past lives has on him.

And, of course, we see here that Uno is one of the Heroes of the Horn! It's a nice hint to viewers who maybe weren't listening to Ingtar earlier that the Horn brings back the dead. Because we definitely all saw Uno die.

50. And, of course, being magically-fast ghost warriors, the Heroes absolutely can make sure that they only target active combatants and that no civilians get caught in the cross-fire.

Uno saving Perrin. <3 And then lending him a magic shield! Useful! I'm guessing it probably also fades away after the Heroes do.

And once the arrow is out of Elayne's leg, everyone is on their way to the tower.

51. Rand is able to push himself to his feet, despite the effects of the shield on him, and tell Ishamael, point-blank, "I will never serve him. In a thousand lives, I never have. I'm sure of it."

Ishamael knows that his main plan is a bust. It's only back-up plans and failsafes from here on out.

52. Mat's throw is a really good throw! Unfortunately, Ishamael is a trickster too, and it goes right through the illusion of him. This moment is incredibly traumatizing for Mat who only literally just now regained his sense of self-worth -- while we are going to end up with our heroes triumphing over Ishamael and the Seanchan and saving Falme... they all end up damaged and traumatized by it.

Mat just clutching onto Rand here in the wake of accidentally stabbing him. Oh, wow, it really gets to me. And Rand's anger is 100% (and very appropriately and accurately) focused on Ishamael.

And Ishamael is so distracted by this moment that he doesn't realize that Egwene has gotten up from where he threw her.

53. I love how delicate Elayne's healing weave is. And the wound left behind looks very nasty. And Rand getting healed by Elayne and then seeing the sun shining in her hair. What a way to be introduced to someone for the first time! They save your life like that and are literally wreathed in sunlight.

54. Moiraine and Lan getting on the same (ruthless) page when it comes to supporting Rand/the Dragon. And we get to really see Lan let loose with his fighting as Moiraine lets loose with her channeling.

55. I was honestly a little nervous about the idea of them actually doing a sky battle because I could not possibly picture how that would not be cheesy. I trusted the show's team but... I was nervous. What the show did was not at all cheesy. It was heartfelt and epic, but not cheesy.

I love how everyone works together to make it work. The team did such a good job of playing out this theme of having the characters be isolated and showing how that made them vulnerable, and then rewarding us with this beautiful coming together. They can be there for each other and protect each other.

And I'm confused about anyone feeling like this takes away from Rand because... they all contribute so that Rand can strike the final blow -- because Rand is the only one who could have done that part. Moiraine freed Rand from his shield and Elayne healed him, Egwene and Perrin were able to block Ishamael's attacks, but Rand absorbed Ishamael's attacks into his own weave to strengthen it, and then he wove the One Power directly into his sword and we can see the results -- instead of getting back up again, Ishamael crumbled to dust.

Ishamael himself was aware that he had lost as soon as Rand was unshielded, imo. He makes another attack after that, but it's clear that he knows that he lost. There's a reason that Ishamael's first big move in the scene with Rand is to get him shielded by the damane. That's the only way he even has a chance in this fight and he knows it. Egwene isn't able to go on the offense against, Ishamael in any way and we can see what a toll it's taking on her to hold up her shield against him - holes develop in her shield before Perrin shows up.

Minor Cauthor note: I love how after Rand gets rocked by being unshielded and he realizes that Mat got pulled away from Mat, he grabs Mat's hand again. Cute, even in the middle of a pitched battle.

56. Our poor traumatized babies! Let's count up the trauma:

a. Rand felt shielded and helpless for much of the fight and now has a wound in his side that Elayne wasn't quite able to heal. He's also very aware that his lack of training is causing big problems. And he's got a heron brand on his hand now.

b. Egwene is deeply traumatized from her time as a slave.

c. Nynaeve spent this entire battle feeling helpless and her only contribution was bringing Elayne here so that Elayne could heal Rand. Nynaeve may even blame herself for the state Rand's wound has been left in, wondering if she could have healed him fully if she'd had access to the Power.

d. Perrin just lost his new wolf BFF in a traumatic way.

e. Mat stabbed his best friend with an evil dagger (after spending months being psychologically tortured).

f. Elayne has a pretty nasty leg injury. Also, she has to be the most confused person here, by a mile. She likely knows about the prophecies and the Dragon Reborn as general concepts but had absolutely no clue that she was accidentally stumbling into the middle of them. She's gonna have so many questions.

57. But this whole section really is beautiful. Just... I love the fire-illusion dragon so much. Moiraine is always So Extra, all the time.

58. This is the first time any of them have seen Rand channel! Even though they can't see the weaves, they can see Rand walking through Ishamael's attacks without flinching, they can see his sword glowing red, and Ishamael turning to dust. And they heard Ishamael call him "Lews", probably.

It's also another incredibly intimate stabbing, though in a different way than Mat 'stabbing' Rand was. He looks directly into Ishamael's eyes the entire time and, afterwards, he stays focused on Ishamael until he's turned to dust.

59. Yeah, Falme looks pretty all-in on the Dragon Reborn. He saved them from the Seanchan and (given what the dude in Atuan's Mill said) he also saved them from the Whitecloaks. At their greatest hour of need, the Dragon really did come to save them. We also get the confirmation here that these Aiel Maidens, at least, believe that Rand is the Car'a'carn that they've been searching for.

60. At this point in time, Lanfear is feeling pretty damn happy with herself. Step one of her plan was a complete success! Ishamael has been taken care of. Lews Therin Rand has been publicly proclaimed the Dragon! Her happy ending is within her grasp!

Then, as Lanfear is basking in her victory... she discovers that Ishamael took action when he realized she was betraying him. We meet "softly, softly from the shadows" Moghedien and see her stand toe-to-toe with Lanfear. All of the Forsaken are now loose.

Love the vibe they've given to Moghedien.

We can see here that those conflicts that Moiraine talked about between the Forsaken are clear and present. Lanfear and Moghedien are definitely not on the same page when it comes with how to deal with the Dragon.

Moghedien says that "him" and "all five of them" are now the other Forsaken's business and that Lanfear is to stay away from Rand in particular.

And she vanishes before Lanfear is set free and our last words of the season are Lanfear saying, "Light help you, Rand al'Thor."

Interesting in two ways! Acknowledgement of him as Rand, not Lews Therin, and calling upon the Light to aid him. I feel like it does a good job of setting up some very clear issues for the next season.

Hope we have a shorter wait this time!

[hazbeans-for-thee]

Radioapple Week Day Three - Deal

Characters: Lucifer, Alastor, Alastor's shadow

Warnings: None

Word count: 796

Summary: A little mischievous shadow decides to pay Lucifer a visit upon Alastor's request. What might he find while he's there?

Alastor watched as Lucifer ducked into his room at the end of the hallway. His lip curled in slight annoyance as he huffed an irritated sigh.

That snake of a demon has been avoiding him nearly all week! What few jabs he has been able to thrown at the king were simply being laughed off or completely ignored! This was their game they played, and Lucifer was breaking the rules. He hummed in thought as he turned around, casting a shadow on the opposite wall that began to twitch with life. Maybe he could get some usefulness out of this mischief maker.

"Go and see what our majesty is busying himself with that is so much more important to him," Alastor commanded. The shadow's mouth glowed a bright green as it slipped onto the floor and underneath the bedroom door.

Inside his room, Lucifer was sitting on his workdesk, his legs crossed as he examined the duck in his hand. "I think that color is right..." he muttered as he tilted it in the light. It was painted a dark red shade, almost like the color of blood. After a few more moments of pondering, he scowled and tossed the duck aside- right into a pile of discarded pile of ducks colored in various shades and hues of red. He stuffed his face in his hands and groaned. "No, no, it's not right, none of these are right! How the hell am I supposed to even tell what color it's supposed to be! I can't just go and compare swatches or something, he'd know immediately what's going on! Why can't I just-"

Lucifer paused as he heard the sound of rustling. His tail suddenly appeared and swished behind him as his eyes darted around the room. "Alright, who's pulling the funny business?" he asked as he hopped down from the desk. "If this is some kind of prank, I'm not falling for it..." he quickly spun on his heel and came face to face with the moving shadow. He pointed at it, and a burst of gold magic erupted from his fingertips, causing the shadow to freeze in place when it was hit.

"Aha! Gotcha bitch!" he exclaimed as he stepped toward the shadow that was now stuck to the wall. "You're tall, dark and creepy's little buddy, yeah? I bet he sent you, didn't he?" The shadow scowled back in response. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna hurt you. In fact... I might need your assistance for a little project of mine. If you help out, and promise not to tell, I'll let you go. How's that sound?"

The shadow seemed to huff in annoyance before it nodded in agreement.

"Perfect!" Lucifer motioned to the pile of red ducks on the floor. "You see, I'm working on a little gift. It's a duck that plays a little song and can dance to it! Pre-programmed with five snippets of songs from the thirties! But I want it to match Alastor's red, and I've gone through at least a hundred prototypes, and I just don't feel like I've gotten the shade right. And since you're literally attached to the guy, you're the perfect one to ask!"

The shadow seemed to bristle a little with pride. Lucifer snapped his fingers, allowing it to escape momentarily from the wall but not from the room. It sunk down into the pile and rummaged around before producing a duck in its hand.

"That one looks good?" Lucifer asked, and the shadow nodded. "Much appreciated! Now, do you plan on telling Alastor about this?"

The shadow shook its head.

"No-?" Lucifer exclaimed in bewilderment. "What, do you want something else too?"

The shadow nodded and held out its hand, palm facing the floor. It took Lucifer a moment before he realized what it was asking for.

"Oh, you want a kiss on the hand...?" The shadow nodded once again, and Lucifer found a fond smile crossing his face. "Just like Alastor, always trying to pull a fast one on me." He took the shadow's hand in his own - it felt a little odd to be holding something that isn't supposed to be corporeal - and placed a small kiss on the back. "There, the deal is set."

The shadow grinned and made a motion of zipping its lips shut. Lucifer laughed and snapped his fingers again. "Alright, you're free to go." The shadow gave a salute before sinking out of the room.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

"What the hell do you mean, 'he caught you'??"

The shadow's ears fell flat against it's head as it noddded.

Alastor groaned in frustration as he rubbed his temples with his fingers. "You choose the worst times to be incompetent."

While Alastor wasn't looking, the shadow's lips curled up into a grin.

[parkitaco]

The sun is warm on Mike's face, and Will is warm against his side.

As far as dates go, Mike has to admit he did a pretty solid job with this one, even if he can already tell that his skin is going to be sunburnt tomorrow and Will won't stop whining about the little pebbles digging into their backs, and yeah, maybe bringing a picnic blanket might have been helpful, but- whatever. He's pretty proud of himself, both for finding this abandoned field on the outskirts of Hawkins and correctly pegging it as a good evening hangout spot, and for managing to get Will out here with him in the first place - it's been a bit of a chaotic summer so far, with the Party preparing to go into their senior year and Hopper and Joyce planning their wedding and Nancy and Jonathan and all their dumb friends visiting from college.

Anyway. The point is that evenings like this are far and few between, and have been for a while, because if the summer has been chaotic, the months leading up to it were nothing short of hectic. The SATs and AP exams and final projects had been brutal, and, like, yeah, the Party is together constantly, and Mike and Will have been joined at the hip since far before they started dating, but it's- nice. That's all.

Will shifts where he's pressed against Mike's side, head tucked against his shoulder and fingers tracing a gentle pattern over his chest. "Ow," he mumbles into Mike's neck, wincing as, presumably, one of the ever offending pebbles digs into his back.

Mike smiles, wrapping a gentle arm around his boyfriend's shoulders as Will wriggles around, trying to get comfortable. "Too many rocks?"

"Yeah," Will huffs, squinting up at Mike accusingly, "Are you sure we can't sit in the car?"

"We're experiencing nature, Will," Mike says for the third time, exasperated. "Plus, I told you, my A/C is broken. We'd overheat and die."

Will rolls his eyes. "You're so dramatic," he grumbles, rolling over onto his back and gazing up at the sky. Mike smiles, letting his head fall to the side so he can watch Will's profile, lit up by the golden glow of the sunset.

He's so beautiful, looking happy and flushed despite all his griping, the sun casting dramatic shadows over his cheekbones. It's stupid, but Mike's missed him these last few weeks, where they've had less time to see each other, lost in the shuffle of visiting family members and summer jobs and everything else. He misses Will a lot, which is stupid and ridiculous, because they've been dating for a couple months now and had been dancing around it for a few months before that, but it's true. He'd missed out on time with Will, that year that he was in California and the months leading up to it, and it had been his fault and he knows it doesn't matter anymore, but it's just- it's something he thinks about, sometimes. How easy it would have been to have lost Will completely, and how lucky he is that he didn't.

Plus, Will is just- nice to have around. Objectively speaking.

Whatever.

"You're staring," Will says softly, and he doesn't look at him directly but his mouth tilts into a small, wry smile. Mike flushes, and is entirely uncompelled to look away.

"What are you gonna do about it?" he teases, nudging Will gently. He scoots closer, lifting his hand from where it rests in the grass to brush lightly through Will's hair, and Will hums appreciatively.

He reaches up and catches Mike's hand, pressing his lips to Mike's fingertips, soft and feather-light. Mike's heart flutters, and he rolls over, leaning over Will and staring him down with a goofy grin on his face.

Will meets his gaze, one eyebrow quirked. "You're pretty," he sing-songs, grinning all teeth, and Mike laughs even as he feels heat rush to his face.

"You're a dork," he returns, and dips down to press his lips to Will's before Will can argue. He can feel Will's smile against his lips, sweet and summery, and it makes something click into place in his chest. I missed this, he thinks hazily, which is still stupid and ridiculous because he sees Will every day, gets to kiss him like this basically whenever he wants, but it's true. This need inside of him runs deep and terrifyingly intense, and he'd always sort of thought it would mellow a little once he was actually dating Will, but apparently not. He just wants- needs Will here with him like this, all the time, forever.

Jesus Christ. Mike can never say any of that out loud. He'd die of mortification on the spot.

But if the way Will is kissing him back is any indication, the feeling is at least halfway reciprocated. His hands are pressed firmly into Mike's back, pressing him lower as he kisses him carefully, slowly, like he's relishing the feeling of Mike against him like this. For someone who, at least as far as he's told Mike, had had little to no experience with kissing before they got together, he's learned far, far too quickly. It's a little unfair, in all honesty, that Will can be so effortless like this, matching every ounce of Mike's crazed intensity with his own.

They even each other out. They work, like this.

After a long moment, Mike pulls back, nuzzling his nose into Will's cheek before settling back down into the grassy slope of the field. Will smiles, slinging an arm over Mike's stomach and returning to his original position - face pressed into Mike's neck, curled around him with their limbs hooked around each other.

He's so warm, rivaling the sun itself, and the air smells like freshly mowed grass and flowers and the faint traces of Will's shampoo from where his hair brushes against Mike's cheek.

And there's that other thing, the thing that occurs to Mike in moments like these, the reason for this deep-seated neediness and want in him, the thing he's known for years now, since before he could even properly put a name to it. He's been thinking about that thing a lot lately, because he's known it all this time, sure, but there's a big difference between keeping something like that tucked away in the back of his brain with the vague idea of getting around to dealing with it some day, versus knowing it with such constancy, with such regular reminders, now that he actually gets to be with Will in this way.

Will shifts against Mike again, pressing a light kiss to his collarbone, and Mike- might as well admit it, at this point.

"Hey, Will?" he asks softly, dragging his fingers through his boyfriend's hair again and turning his head, nosing against the side of his face and kissing his jawline lightly.

There must be something in his tone, something that gives him away, and he kind of figures Will knows what the- that the thing is anyway, but it still manages to settle his nerves when Will tilts his head up to look at him, smiling sweetly.

"Mike," he replies, lightly teasing and honey-sweet, "I know."

Thank God, Mike thinks, and his face splits into a smile. "Can I," he says, swallowing back the unwarranted nerves that are still humming through his veins, "Can I say it anyway?"

Will's eyes widen just slightly, and he flushes, looking embarrassed and a little shy. "Y-yeah," he says, his easily confident demeanor slipping a little, and he looks endearingly nervous, biting his lip and nodding once.

It's this, combined with the sun on their cheeks and the warmth between them, that makes the words slip out. "I love you," Mike whispers, heart beating fast in his chest and a giddy feeling overtaking him. He dips down, presses two quick kisses to Will's cheek, and a slightly hysterical giggle escapes him. "I love you so much," he whispers, face tucked in beside Will's and lips brushing his jaw.

Will's eyes flutter shut, and a smile steadily spreads across his face as Mike continues dropping little kisses to the side of his face and neck. "I love you too," he hums, as Mike ducks his head lower and kisses his neck, "I really- Mike, that tickles!"

"Don't care," Mike murmurs, kissing the junction between Will's neck and shoulder. "I love you, I love you, I love-"

"Okay," Will cuts in, laughing, "I get it, Mike."

Mike reluctantly detaches himself from Will's neck, nuzzling his face against Will's one more time before rolling over onto his back and bringing Will with him, an arm around his shoulders and pulling him closer. Will laughs again, quiet and warm, and his head settles heavily onto Mike's chest. "I love you too," he says again, and Mike's entire body floods with warmth. "I really do, Mike."

This, too, Mike had known - almost in the same way he'd been aware of his own feelings, a quiet sort of knowledge that he'd been putting off confronting. "I know," he hums, just to be annoying, and Will reaches up with a lazy hand to flick the side of his face. "I'm- stop it, I'm just saying."

He can't see Will's face, but he'd bet good money that Will is rolling his eyes at him. "Yeah, yeah," he grumbles, and then, voice softening as his fingers find their way to Mike's waist and he begins tracing gentle circles into the exposed strip of skin there, "I missed you, you know."

He missed me too, Mike thinks, wildly, and it shouldn't please him so much, the knowledge that his boyfriend is just as deranged and insane and nonsensical about this relationship as he is, but it's oddly gratifying. He hugs Will closer, enjoys the steady weight of him against him as he asks, voice warm, "When did you miss me?"

Will shrugs, the grass shifting beneath them as he scoots closer and continues tracing his fingertips into Mike's skin. "I don't know, just- recently. It's stupid, I know."

"No," Mike says quickly, pressing a kiss to the top of Will's head, "No, I know what you mean. I- I miss you too, sometimes. Whenever you're not around."

Will lifts his head, peeking up at Mike with a shy smile. "Yeah?"

Mike laughs, a little incredulous and a little giddy and a lot in love. "Will, I just told you I loved you, like, ten times-"

"Three and a half, actually," Will points out, and Mike giddily thinks he's counting, "And- I mean, that's good. Not that you miss me, or whatever, but. Just, sometimes I think I'm going crazy about this, about you, and it's just nice that you-"

"Crazy together," Mike interrupts, reaching for Will's hand where it's still pressed against his side and lacing their fingers together. "Right?"

Will laughs, settling back into him and squeezing his hand. "Yeah," he agrees softly, the sound reverberating through Mike's ribcage where Will's face is pressed into his t-shirt. "Yeah, crazy together."

Mike smiles, running his free hand over Will's back and letting his eyes fall shut contentedly. It'll be dark soon - the sky is turning a fiery red color as the sun dips lower still in the sky, and Mike had sworn up and down to Hopper that he'd have Will home by ten, which is a ridiculous curfew but tolerable for the simple fact that it's Will, and Mike will take whatever snatches of time with him that he can.

"This was nice, by the way," Will murmurs into his shirt, as Mike's hand brushes through his hair again.

"What, the date?" Mike asks, and he feels it rather than sees it when Will nods, cheek brushing against him.

"Mhm," he hums, sounding just as contented as Mike feels. "Thanks for- yeah. Thanks."

"Anytime," Mike says warmly, as Will's breathing evens out and both of their eyes flutter shut again.

The air is warm and alive with the sounds of birds and crickets chirping. Summer is just beginning, and Mike, for the first time in a while, feels like he has time - time with this beautiful boy, and his friends and everything important to him. Here, in this empty field at dusk, everything has come to a standstill, and the neediness and desperation that's constantly clawing at him has subsided, overpowered by the feeling of Will wrapped around him.

Mike breathes a soft sigh of relief, and the sunlight washes over them.

[googleitlol]

I just had such an odd dream?? Abt Lego monkie kid season 5??? It was so weird and I wanna share it, but I’m also gonna leave a TW for suicide because ??? Idek what this dream was 😭

It started with my friend (who doesn’t even watch the show) sending me a video on Instagram that’s just, like, the entire first episode?? So I start watching it and it follows MK and his friends (minus Monkey King) checking out this spooky abandoned building that kind of looks reminiscent of Macaque’s theatre

Macaque is there too, as part of the group, and he’s just depressed. Like bro is gloomy, talking like Misery from Ruby Gloom. Anyway, I’m not sure if they’re trying to track down this ghost or stop some sort of paranormal activity, but the gang needed Macaque’s help in order to do it.

But for some reason, it’s super dangerous for Macaque to do whatever he has to do, like only the strongest shadow magic can do this (I still don’t know what it even is that he’s supposed to be doing) and because of how depressed he is, his magic is also weaker. Pigsy and Tang straight up roast him saying he has the weakest shadow magic they’ve ever seen, and that if he tries doing whatever they asked him to do, he’ll likely die but Macaque knows this and makes it clear that’s what he wants

He tries doing it and there’s some really cool black and white animation from his magic that swirls around and he does some mega anime yell then BAM they’re all in an arcade.

They all go looking for Macaque since they don’t believe he’s really dead and eventually they find him on this game that’s a table projecting the game 3D onto itself. It’s formatted very much like Street Fighter, with the health bar, and opponents one either side ready to fight, but it’s macaque fighting the most random characters. Like, think Smash Bros. He’s fighting Sonic and Kirby at different points.

Anyway, it’s revealed he’s fighting them because the thing he did didn’t end up killing him, so he’s hoping to die in combat but he keeps winning which makes him even more depressed 😭

MK somehow uses his phone to send these messages that project into the game so Macaque can see them, and it’s all messages about how much they love him and need him in their lives, and to not do this to himself. The messages end up getting through to him, and decides to leave the game. But when he does, he stays small and sort of turns into a squishy version of himself?

Like one of these squish toys but that version of himself.

He was still sentient as a toy tho, and kept trying to fall out of MK’s hands to splat to his death, so I guess he changed his mind abt not wanting to kill himself?? Like it is a STRUGGLE to not let him fall, he’s like a cat that turns into liquid, or just super liquid-slime and droops down, and is just barely caught but he keeps drooping so MK has to just cup this tiny squish toy macaque in his hands.

Anyway, that’s the dream. Why did I dream of this? Idk, maybe it was a sign to rewatch the series while we wait for season 5 🤷‍♀️

Hopefully Macaque isn’t suicidal next season 🫡

[catiecat1320]

Chapter 7 of 11! (Seven Eleven heheh) [MasterPost]

Read Below🔽

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Shadow’s ears twitched at the sound, well before he even realized he heard it. Groaning, he lifted his head in response, brain still foggy from sleep. “Eh?”

He was on the couch, he realized, rubbing his sore neck as coherent thoughts trickled back in. He must’ve fallen asleep while reading again.

Tap. Tap. 

“Coming, coming!” He shouts to no one in particular. Standing up, the book that sat forgotten in his lap thudded on the floor, splaying spine-up messily, eliciting a wince from the owner. With much more care, Shadow picked it up, straightened the pages and lined it up with the other of its series on the coffee table. 

The relentless tapping continued, and it was only then that he realized it didn’t sound like the wood of his door. 

His head snapped to the window much too late, only to see the emerald eyes of someone he would’ve never expected peering back at him. “Sonic?” 

The door was open before he registered he’d moved, the awaiting star outside giggling at his mindless haste. “Heya, Shads! Had a nice nap?”

“What? You… How are you here? D-did I ever give you my address?” Shadow stuttered, ignoring Sonic’s question. “You know what, I’m not going to ask. You’re here. What for?”

The idol only grinned cheekily, patting Shadow’s shoulder as he slipped past and into the house, never dropping the gaze he had locked on to the host. It was as if he was waiting, but for what Shadow didn’t know. He felt a little dumb, standing there with no idea why someone was in his house. Was he supposed to do something?

He… doesn’t remember how to act with guests over.

“Well? You gonna close the door?” Sonic said, raising his eyebrows expectantly. Right. The pianist reached behind him and fumbled with the doorknob, completely off put by how nonchalant his visitor was. It was as if Shadow was the one that randomly showed up in the middle of the night to a house that he shouldn’t have known the address to in the first place.

“So. This is your favorite place, huh?” Sonic threw himself onto the couch, head swiveling like an owl’s as he drank in the sights of the little house. “Pretty neat,” he muttered, sinking into the cushions, “Cozy, too.”

The more he talked, the more Shadow just… stopped working. “W…why did you come to my house again? Just to see it for yourself?”

“Ha!” Sonic sat up, smirking. “Tails was driving me up the wall— which, mind you, are pretty small in a RV— so I decided to stretch my legs and take a run ‘round the ‘hood.” He looks smug, holding his fingers up to his face like one of those girls looking at their nails, despite wearing gloves. Why did he wear gloves all the time? Shadow quietly stowed the question away for the next Q&A. “I also left my watch, so he’s probably worrying his guts out right now.”

“That…” seems a little too far. But it wasn’t his place to judge Sonic’s actions, and it’s not like he knew the context of the situation, so, “...doesn’t answer my question. Why my house?”

“Oh. Uh… would you believe me if I said I just happened to see you through the window?”

The look on Shadow’s face probably told him more than enough. “Um. Well, I was thinking of you. And I was thinking about my favorite place in the whole wide world,” the idol admitted sheepishly, scratching at his cheek. “I thought that maybe I should show you.”

“It’s nearing midnight. You could’ve come tomorrow.” Shadow pointed out. But he was curious now, his words holding no edge to them. What was so special that it would warrant this sudden visit?

“But now is the best time to see it!” Sonic argued. “Come on, you’ll understand when we’re there!”

“Alright, alright,” Shadow grumbled. “Give me a moment to get ready.”

“Okay! Make sure to wear comfortable clothes. It’ll be quite a hike to get there.”

………………………………

“You’re not going to tell me where we’re going?” Shadow muttered, trying to hide his unease. He didn’t usually go out this late after dark. Trailing after Sonic was easy enough, he supposed, but he’d really appreciate it if he could get a sense of direction. He would’ve appreciated it even more if they’d just taken his bike, but that was beside the point.

He doesn’t recognize this part of town. Whether it was the night messing with his senses or just a new route, he didn’t like it. The ominous lighting of the shielded streetlights didn’t help, especially not when the one down the corner was flickering like mad. Sonic didn’t seem to mind at all though.

“We’ll be there soon,” he assured. “It’s in the one and only Emerald Park. I loved running through that place when I was littler, but there’s a special spot that I call my favorite.”

“Emerald Park?” Shadow recognized the name. He’d been there when he was a child, too. But those memories had been left behind, fading with age. The most he could remember was Maria’s awestruck face as she exclaimed something he couldn’t recall, the green canopies above throwing cooling shade over her golden hair.

“Yeah.” Sonic stopped, and in the dark Shadow made out a plaque declaring their location. He was starting to have second thoughts… more like third thoughts at this point. Should they really be here at this time of night? 

A sudden warmth enveloped his wrist, and Shadow swore his heart nearly tore out of his chest. It was only when he yanked back and Sonic toppled into him with a yip that he realized it was just the other hedgehog’s hand.

“Oh! Oh, Chaos, I’m sorry,” he stammered, the cool nighttime air doing nothing to hamper the sheer embarrassment that lit his face, not helped by the fact that Sonic was now in his arms. The dancer only laughed, however, straightening and wrapping his fingers around Shadow’s wrist again. 

“Don’t worry about it! I’ll admit that this place is pretty spooky in the dark. Man, I missed it so much.” 

“Should we really be here?” Shadow breathed aloud, just to be sure, to which Sonic huffed. No verbal answer was given, and the musician found himself being led through the open gate onto worn trails. Whether that was a yes or no, he didn’t know.

He was blind now, metaphorically and nearly physically. The shadowed trees that towered over them blocked out the moon, and there were no artificial lights to speak of. Almost like a scene in a horror movie… yet despite that, the usually unnerving sights didn’t get much further than slightly raising his heart rate, adrenaline doing a fine job in activating his senses. 

He was putting so much trust into Sonic, he realized. There was every chance that the idol could do something or lead him somewhere dangerous, intentionally or unintentionally, and he would be powerless to stop it. Not out here, as much of a wilderness as he’d ever been. Yet somehow, Shadow had complete faith that nothing would go wrong.

Somewhere, sometime, Sonic had started idle chatter. Of course he couldn’t keep his mouth shut. It was quite endearing, the way he could go on about nothing of importance with so much excitement. “...You’re gonna love this place, I’m telling you; I’ve been all over the world, probably seen everything at this point, but nothing beats this place,” he gushed, “not even those really cool landmarks everyone’s heard of! Those are honestly overrated. Or, or— I’m getting off track, hah. We’re nearly there. Anyway, I don’t think I’ve shown anyone besides Tails, so you’re lucky, Shads.” He paused along with his sentence, with Shadow stopping just a little too late, bumping into the hedgehog in front of him. 

“Sorry,” he mumbled, silently cursing his clumsiness.

“No need to be!” Sonic assured immediately, pressing closer. Too much closer. Almost touching faces closer. “Stay close, okay? We’re gonna go off the trail. Step where I step so you don’t trip.” He shifted his hand down, intertwining fingers with Shadow.

“Wait, wait, what?” The pianist stumbled, but Sonic had already set off, headed in between inconspicuous trees and taking Shadow with him. 

“Don’t worry,” he whispered back. “I know this place like the back of my hand. We won’t get lost.”

“I… okay.” And immediately, Shadow’s foot caught a stray root, sending him tumbling into the idol. The two landed on top of each other, both surprised and one embarrassed. 

“Sorry, sorry! Gosh, I’m such an idiot.”

Sonic laughed, untangling himself. “It’s okay. It’s easy to slip up here. I’ve done it even after years.” They helped each other up, did a quick once-over for complications, and started again.

The dancer took more care to lead this time… which involved holding both of Shadow’s hands. His cheeks were probably glowing with how much heat circulated there— he felt like a baby learning to walk, stumbling over his own two feet while Sonic stepped backwards, all confidence and grace, only occasionally sparing a few glances into the darkness behind him.

“We’re almost there…” the guide murmured after what felt like forever. Something flicked into Shadow’s face, making him cringe. He was sure he’d gotten several scratches from all the branches clawing at them. This better be worth it. 

“Prepare yourself…”

They entered a clearing, and Shadow couldn’t help the shrill squeak that came out of his mouth at the sight. It was as if all the breath had been sucked out of him, held captive by what lay before him.

It… it was heaven itself.

High above, stars like he’d never seen swirled around the full moon, bathing all in holy silver. The drop of a steep cliff gave way to a sprawling landscape which he recognized as the quiet nighttime Green Hill, dotted with the occasional light but otherwise inky black. If he looked closely, he could see the sky reflected in the lake, as if a portal had opened on its glassy surface, beckoning the curious to slip into a dream. 

Nearer to himself, grass tamed only by Mother Nature swayed in the gentle breeze, tickling his pant legs. Overhead, trees shifted and rustled, reminding him of their ever-reaching presence. Fireflies darted here and there, flashing their own lights to compete with the twinkling stars. 

Oh, it was a feast for the eyes, a secret paradise, a whole living fairytale, and right beside him, the blue hedgehog that opened the door to all of this, wearing a knowing grin as he let Shadow soak it all in.

“Pretty, isn’t it?”

Shadow couldn’t agree more.

A gentle tug redirected his attention to the one holding his hand, guiding him further. The two settled in the grass blanketing the ridge, letting the moon shine peace onto them. 

“When… when did you find this place? How?” Shadow couldn’t help but ask once he finally found his voice. It was magical, really. Exactly the kind of place you would expect Sonic would call his favorite.

The dancer looks wistful for a second. “When I was barely a teenager, reckless and really, really eager for freedom. I don’t sleep easy, and that combined with an adventurous streak led to me stumbling across this place. It just… called out to me, I guess.”

Shadow watched as he fell backward, coming to a rest on his elbows. Pale in the starlight, Sonic’s face tilted to the swirling sky, his smile like a crescent moon. “This is where I feel most inspired. There’s… there’s a magic to this place, I’m telling you, and I was thinking you might feel it too.”

It certainly looked like Wonderland, but he got the feeling that Sonic meant “magic” literally. In which case, he wanted to shout that the idea was ridiculous. Magic wasn’t real. 

…But at the same time, a part of Shadow was compelled to agree, or at least try to understand the thought.

“You don’t get it, do you?” 

The pianist winced at the comment. But when he started to say something, he realized that Sonic wasn’t looking at him, or anything at all. Blue eyelids lay shut, a neutral expression pasted on his face as he breathed deeply, focused and detached at once. The words Shadow meant to say died in his throat. 

A moment later, a soft smile graced the idol’s lips and he whispered something too quiet for the other to hear. Sonic stood up and brushed himself off, stretching, leaving Shadow completely and utterly lost, still. 

He felt like he was interrupting something, something he couldn’t yet understand. But then glittering emeralds snapped over to him, partnered with a cheeky yet confident grin. Sonic offered a hand and he took it, letting himself be pulled to his feet. His expression was more than likely the opposite of the idol’s, layered with confusion and curiosity, a desperate plea to know what the hell was going on.

Shadow’s silent inquiry was met not with an answer, but a demand.

“Let’s dance.”

[icedragonlizard]

Gonna finally discuss this particular topic now.

I'll be quick to admit; I myself acknowledge that the whole "Dark Meta Knight corrupted Sectonia" thing is not confirmed in canon.

It's just a fan theory.

.... But I still kind of subscribe to it in my headcanon universe, lol.

I say "kind of" because in my headcanons, while DMK had some complicity in Sectonia spiraling into madness, he wasn't the main instigator behind it. The main instigator behind it was Dark Mind.

So, "Dark Mind corrupted Sectonia" is more true in my headcanons than "DMK corrupted Sectonia", but the latter is still somewhat true in the interp, as DMK was an accomplice. That's about it, though.

I've said this before in previous tumblr posts of mine, but Dark Mind didn't completely die in my interpretation. He was just neutralized into a weak little fragment that desperately needs someone to follow his orders. And luckily for him, DMK hasn't given up on him and is still willing to follow his orders, even as a mere shadow of his former self.

There was one point where Dark Mind was looking for a new vessel to help accelerate the process of coming back to his former glory. He noticed Joronia looking at the dimensional mirror that Taranza gave her, and figured that she'd be a potential candidate for a new vessel.

Dark Mind would've corrupted Joronia on his own, but he was in too weak of a condition to do so. Therefore, he asked for DMK's help in 'feeding' her dark magic to see if she'd be a good fit for a new vessel. This was a gradual process. They sneakily did it under her nose.

But once she was given enough dark magic, she eventually became too out of control for them. They realized they had given her more dark magic than they needed. She became too corrupted to the point she didn't cooperate with them, and so they gave up and left her to do whatever. That "whatever" was, of course, causing Triple Deluxe.

Sectonia was being tested as a new vessel for Dark Mind, but failed. Dark Mind and DMK just moved on to do something else afterwards.

So yeah, there you have it. DMK technically did help cause Sectonia's descent into madness in my headcanons, but it was merely because Dark Mind told him to do so. It was just an order from his master. Again, he wasn't the main instigator/mastermind behind her downfall.

.... But DMK simply being a mere accomplice to her downfall was still more than enough for Taranza to hate his guts when he found out about it at one point during Star Allies.

Taranza vehemently hates both DMK and Dark Mind.

The beans got spilled when DMK 'privately' confessed it to his friend Daroach, but it got overheard by Magolor, who then informed Taranza.

This resulted in bad blood between Taranza and DMK. Taranza has constantly accused DMK of corrupting Sectonia. He has berated him, has angrily yelled in his face, and has physically attacked him for it. He's even gone as far as to try to kill him for 'ruining his queen'.

At first, DMK scoffed at it. He was just following Dark Mind's order when giving Joronia dark magic. But as Taranza kept attacking DMK more and more, DMK eventually snapped and has become equally vicious and vitriolic to him back. Eventually, he's gotten absolutely sick of being constantly blamed, shunned and demonized.

DMK firmly states several times that Sectonia's corruption was ultimately Taranza's own fault for taking the mirror in the first place.

To be entirely honest? DMK isn't wrong with that statement. After all, Joronia/Sectonia wouldn't have gone into the slippery slope that resulted in her death if Taranza hadn't taken the mirror to give to her. One could easily look at it as if Taranza may just be using DMK as someone to project onto and to blame for Sectonia's demise.

... That being said, it's more than obvious that Taranza didn't know the mirror was going to corrupt Sectonia. And despite the fact that she wouldn't have gone corrupt if he didn't take the mirror, that still didn't mean it was okay for Dark Mind and DMK to do what they did. They took advantage of Taranza's unknowingly bad move. Therefore, I'd say that Taranza ultimately still has the right to be mad at DMK.

And so Taranza continues to hold a vehement grudge against DMK, even after having to accept the fact that Sectonia's corruption would not have happened if he didn't take the mirror. He's not wrong to still be mad at the guy for taking advantage of his irreversible mistake.

It's also resulted in Susie and Magolor sometimes going out of their way to mock/harass DMK, as they both heavily resent him for playing a hand in corrupting their buddy Taranza's queen. Susie mocks DMK by calling him a worse version of Meta Knight, while Magolor tells lots of emo jokes to get on DMK's nerves and even sometimes puts on an edgy outfit to mock him even further. They do it in Taranza's name.

Most of the other star allies, however, have been trying to intervene and stop the bad blood between Taranza and DMK when it got really alarming. Kirby and King Dedede made the declaration to issue restraining orders for Taranza and DMK to have on each other. They are not allowed anywhere near each other during star ally meetings.

I don't portray DMK as pure/irredeemably evil, by the way, despite playing a hand in Sectonia's corruption. I headcanon he's friends with Kirby, Adeleine, Ribbon and especially Daroach who is more or less his bestie. And it's those 4 people that are the most dedicated to stopping Taranza and DMK from going for each other's throats.

Kirby understands why Taranza has a problem with DMK, but Kirby is also a stubborn optimist and continues to see the good in DMK despite what was revealed at one point. He does not at all approve of Taranza and DMK trying to tear each other to shreds. He, alongside many others, are always quick to break up their fights.

And if I have to be honest, I headcanon that Taranza has deep resentment and distrust for the mirror world in general. So even if DMK had absolutely zero hand in Sectonia's corruption in my hcs, Taranza most likely still wouldn't get along with him. Lol... I'm sorry, Taranza and DMK friendship wasn't gonna happen regardless for me.

Although I don't portray most mirror worlders being evil. I interpret DMK, Shadow Dedede and Dark Taranza all being bad/not-good people, but they're outliers, and I wouldn't call any of them irredeemable levels of evil, just crappy people. Shadow Kirby on the other hand is a good person trying to protect the mirror world.

But yeah... I think that's basically it for this post. I'm fully aware that "DMK corrupted Sectonia" is a mere fan theory and not actually proven in canon at all, but I find it interesting enough to implement it into my headcanons, and it's pretty complicated. It wasn't completely of his own volition as it was an order from Dark Mind, and one can argue that Taranza is still at fault for taking the mirror, but ultimately DMK still isn't innocent of this deed. I would also like to mention that I interpret Sectonia already being just a little bit unhinged even before the mirror doomed her. They took advantage of her flaws and amplified it to utterly disastrous levels.

Thanks for reading, guys.

[antispopausandstuff]

if you're a glimmer fan, ignore this.

.

gonna be honest.

i absolutely hate Glimmer, and not just because of s4.

she was a terrible person from the start and i'll get into why.

i'm going to get into her relationship with Angella another time, because that is a whole mess in of itself [ because of Glimmer ], and deserves its own post.

anyway, Glimmer:

undermines her supposed best friend's [ Bow ] abilities for no reason and doesn't give an actual apology [ her admittance to being wrong also seems really reluctant and annoyed to me ].

has an issue with Bow having friends for some reason, even though this was never brought up in any way before, and uses Adora as a prop to show just how much better fun she's having [ yeah, obsessing over your best friend daring to have fun with someone that isn't you is totally having fun ]. and then when Bow tries to talk to her about, she expects him to apologize [ yes, i know she does apologize for this later, but i hate how she even thinks of this in the first place ].

projects her own insecurities onto her ma like crazy while constantly, constantly going behind angella's back for no fucking reason and being ridiculously reckless, but then whining about how her ma doesn't see her as capable [ this sounds like a familiar cat... ].

this isn't specifically about Glimmer, but it just annoys me how literally almost no one actually helps Adora with Catra constantly harassing and assaulting the poor girl until she's about to die or get kidnapped, like what the hell?

'Ties That Bind' is another episode that was a complete waste of time and did nothing but paint how annoying and asshole-y Catra, Glimmer, and even Bow, unfortunately, are.

'Roll With It' Glimmer [ and everyone else, but Glimmer's a streak atp ] can actually kiss my ass, because this is not what you do in a war or when someone is having a panic attack about someone trying to kill them and everyone else.

no one talks to Adora about White Out. ever. what kinda friends are you?

Glimmer continues undermining Angella and doing stupid ass shit, like letting Shadow Weaver power her up [ yes, this could've been an arc and, maybe, about one where Glimmer would eventually understand what Adora had gone through, but that didn't happen, and she put pretty much everyone in danger by trusting SW. and yes, i'm aware Glimmer apologized to Angella in the fake reality thing, but i don't buy it ] and leaves her ma with the belief that she's a coward [ when Angella's one of the most logical characters out of the cast ].

i'm tired of people saying that Glimmer was manipulated by SW in s4, and that's why she let SW walk whenever she wanted, when in previous seasons, Glimmer has repeatedly brought up how manipulative the woman is and WATCHED HER TRY TO WIPE ADORA'S MIND. Glimmer has no excuse other than doing it just because she wants to and think her rights are of no consequence.

i don't care what people say, Glimmer's plan was stupid. either the planet would die, or they would win. if they were [ realistically ] pushed into a corner, then maybe i can see that being an option they would have to consider. but Glimmer is clearly a 'my way or the highway' kind of person and doesn't even bother listening to her supposed best friends.

manipulates Adora into trusting her with the "i know you don't trust Shadow Weaver [ reasonably. and why do you trust her? she gave you power? ooohhh, wow, it's not like anybody else in your family could've have done that ], but can't you trust me" bullshit. like, wow. honestly wow. the audacity if you.

'Mer-Mysteries' and 'Boy's Night' Glimmer can actually get kicked in the nards. "she was acting" yeah, duh, but did y'all forget that it was heavily implied ( by DT and the expressions on both of her and Adora's faces ) that they were at least somewhat speaking from the heart, and Adora was genuinely hurt when Glimmer said the most inane bullshit i have ever heard [ seriously, her and Catra could be buddies at this point ] by implying Adora wanted to be SW's favorite?

blames her for Angella's death. "she realized she was wrong almost immediately aft-" guess what? still doesn't take it back. especially since Adora watched her die.

uses abuse of power via using her Queen status to prevent Adora and Bow from leaving Brightmoon to rescue Entrapta [ and insults the grown ass woman while she's at it ], and it's really obvious that it was because they told her she's wrong [ and she is ]. because she goes to Light Hope with the intention of proving Adora wrong.

uses Scorpia's insecurities to get her to use the Black Garnet. Catra literally did the same thing in Princess Prom.

SURPRISE, SURPRISE, the entire planet is about to die and the Princesses are getting injured by Glimmer's stupid ass decision that her best friends literally told her would have severe consequences.

manages to avoid severe consequences because even though the world nearly died, there's no civilians to criticize her and rightfully hate her for what she did.

i hate her apology to Adora, not only because it's shoddy at best, but also because Adora immediately forgives her [ like Catra ], even though she was deeply hurt by what Glimmer said and did [ like Catra ].

I HATE HER CONVERSATION WITH BOW. it sounds like she's allowing him to be angry for, idk, nearly destroying the world and pretty much giving out the location of Etheria to Horde Prime, and then she's immediately rewarded with his forgiveness. fuck off.

instead of consoling Adora for being frustrated with Catra after she risked her life to save the ungrateful little shit, Glimmer instead borderline defends her [ or at least undermines Adora's anger ] by going "lol, did you think she'd become a different person after we risked our lives saving her 🤪".

Glimmer and Bow are Catra's ass-kissers now. shocker. and they don't take anything seriously anymore unless the plot calls for it. also shocker.

why does she say [ in the Heart 1 episode ] "it isn't going to work"??? like, it kinda sounds like she'd consider it. which, if you do, just say that atp.

and, just like catra, says Adora left them.

that's not all she did, obviously, and i know she's like this because of the show, yada yada, but i just really hate her.

[pleucas]

Would you ever consider doing a colouring tutorial?

Heyooooooo

I've done a coloring post before (a few months prior), but somehow, my coloring/painting process has changed a lot since then lol. I'll give a breakdown of my process (and go into specifics on coloring) here, but please do take it with a grain (or a spoonful) of salt... I'm still very much learning, and though you can use my process as a guide, experiment on your own to find what works for you! This post got a little long I'm ngl so. open at ur own risk. it's really just me rambling and being a bit too pretentious for my own good

using my recent post as an example, my process is basically just:

first i get a clean sketch (after many hours of pain finding detailed references lol), not gonna go into that since you asked abt coloring

then i immediately go to block out shapes over the sketch. For big paintings, I don't do lineart (because i find that it eliminates a lot of depth that can be achieved with shapes and shading) — for smaller sketches and pieces, i'll do lineart tho.

I started darker to lighter in this painting because I knew I wanted harsh light. For me, it's a lot easier to project "additions" onto a surface — ie, if there's a harsh light, that's the addition vs. a shadow in neutral lighting as the addition. dunno if that makes sense, but breaking tones down like that helps me understand how i want to chronologically color smth and choose my bases:

for example, since I knew I was gonna have harsh light here, I felt comfortable with just getting the tones for my shadows down immediately. There won't be many midtones due to how extreme I saw it to be, so there was no point in finding a neutral base tone.

how i choose colors varies from painting to painting, but for this one, I decided to lean purple-blue because skk are just one of many red and blue gays (same reason why most of my other skk works lean red-blue-purple), and also because I knew I wanted my light to be on the warmer side — thus, the shadows and unlit areas will be cooler.

i also wanted it to recede (to emphasize the perspective and for depth), so for the base colors, i made them cooler + darker as they went back. This wasn't as clear in the finished product, but i think it did a good job at reminding me the vibe i wanted as i rendered

By how much I've written for this step, I guess you can assume that it's the step I put the most consideration into — and you'd be right. I think base colors really determine the vibe, and it sets you up for the rest of the painting. Sometimes I have to color adjust my bases over and over (with hue adjustments, color balance, curves) until I'm satisfied. I think that satisfaction is obtained w/ more ease as I've painted more and more. Alongside the sketch, this step takes me quite a while. Sometimes it's fun to mess with really wild color combos, but that's another topic.

Then I block out the lighting, which is probably the most drastic step but also somehow the quickest for me. Once you understand how light affects color (warmth, tone, etc) and you gain confidence with it, blocking out values in relation to base tones isn't too hard. That ofc takes practice and a lot of fundamental understanding of Shapes & Colors but there's a lot of stuff online abt the theory specifically from professionals, so I'm not gonna lecture y'all as a fanartist for glorified literary author rpf

then i just start rendering, layer by layer. above is a screenshot i took mid-rendering; at this point, dazai's clothes were basically done but I later worked on the face + hair more and textured the tie.

I try to do the stuff I want people to focus on first, because at least for me, that's when I have the most energy to make smth detailed — the more detailed an area is, the more naturally drawn you eye is to it (this is because the brain likes areas of high contrast, and details are entirely founded on the placement of contrast).

My art has never been too extremely detailed — I enjoy flatter + bigger shapes, styled texturing and silly patterns, but I find that "detail" still translates into "effort". When I look at paintings, it's very clear where someone put most of their effort — and when I can't tell, then I know I have a very confident + experienced artist who can effectively distribute their workflow (goalz). So yeah, I render in my very silly poly style but still keep that in mind.

eventually, I finish rendering. This part is kinda a blur tbh, and it always varies from artist to artist. I'd say the things I keep in mind are:

shape + form (making sure my rendering doesn't mess up gesture or vibes, and that it keeps things loose)

composition (making sure i don't overdo areas where i don't want people to focus on)

and tone (ensuring that the depth and believability of the scene stays intact so that my non-realistic style can work)

I added the bullet because i wanted a reason for the goofy expressions, just a bit more pizazz so that skk's drama was also believable lol. also visual storytelling or whtv (but that's not something i usually prioritize, it mostly comes with the concept and sketch).

I also added the bullet for some compositional spice. the dark shadow on dazai's arms was there to also emphasize the warped perspective, but it also left a weirdly empty vibe that I didn't enjoy lol. So yeah, bullet! and ofc my favorite, weird flowy line pattern thing that doesn't adhere to the laws of physics

I think a lot of my traditional painting experience leaks into my digital painting practice. I don't like lineart too much, and since I mainly work with acrylic, I rely on opaque color blocks, layering, and "carving out" shapes. probably explains my affinity for solid flat brushes in Procreate,,,,, but yeah. It's a little all over the place, but at its core, it's a lot of technical stuff mixed with habits after finding what works for me.

Dunno if this helps at all, or if it was interesting lolol. Thank you for reading until the end if you're still here! I appreciate it. I'm still learning but I've definitely learned a lot since I started this blog so it's exciting to track my progress. I'm sure I'll see this in a few years and laugh lolol.

[ofmdee]

i finished another ofmd diamond painting!

under the cut because there is some rambling 😂

i wasn't super crazy about this one as i was working on it, i felt like stede's hand looked weird, there was too much shadow etc, but once again, the finished product impresses me 😂

used a cropped screenshot as reference:

i'm gonna make an actual pretty post once i get it framed, but i wanted to share a while.

i'm gonna be honest, tho, i think my diamond painting Frenzy is waning, and it's bumming me tf out!!!! i feel like i go thru this constant cycle of nothing interests me, nothing nothing nothing, OH found something fun?? 👀 lets do it CONSTANTLY because it feels good to have fun, it's so much more preferable than the hollow feelings, the anxious feelings, the 'what is the point?' feelings etc, but i inevitably exhaust all the fun that can be had much too quickly, because i don't know how to do it in moderation!!! because i Crave the good feelings and it hurts so much when the thing no longer sparks the kind of intense focus and interest.

and i KNOW i hyperfocus on things to the point of it being detrimental to other things, but that's when i feel.... happiest, i think? when i have something that my brain is so latched onto that it's all i can think about to the point where i start to think hey.... maybe i could be happy one day? and then there is the inevitable crash because i burned out and lost interest

(i live in a terrible fear of this happening to my interest in ofmd one day 💀 and i worry about not having anything to fall back on if that does happen)

anyway, idk what the solution to that is, and im not sure what i'm even talking about anymore, lol, but yeah. it's frustrating!

i'm still gonna work on diamond projects, tho, because i do like the end result. here is my next project:

🤭

no idea how i'm gonna explain this one to my parents, lol, theyre always so interested in what i'm working on but they have No Idea that sim ed and stede exist 😂

oh, it's sunday, isn't it? and i should be getting my period soon, maybe this is why it feels so Intense today.

my gf will be here next month tho so i am holding out for that, when i actually feel like a person who could end up happy. i want our lives together to start, somehow, but there are so many variables and obstacles to that, just..... idk. i want my beloved with me more than a few times a year 😔

anyway, idk, sometimes i just like using tumblr like it's an Actual Blog, lol, it's easier to make things make sense on here rather than twitter.

anyway if u read this, thank u, i appreciate u, and i am including two gifs i don't think i ever shared here in thanks 🥰

these were from the beginning of the year, and part of a spicy set 😏🔞

okay. i think im done lmfao ✌

[prismuffin]

Major Triggering warning for Self-harm (I just wanted to give you the notice before you read. I know it's not everyone jazz)

So I'm noticing an increase of horny asks with the new followers. So let's do an angst ask to balance some shit out!!

How about Batman getting the empty nest feaver again and impulsively adopting a teen in Joker's "care." And without realizing it, he starts to project Joker's image and shit onto the teen. The teen senses this, turning to self-hatred and trying to stop everything that looks like a mannerism of a joker. They Reader starts to wear more black and grey, jumping away from purple n green. Just wanting to be loved. Trying to find a way to make Bruce happy.

So! How would the batboys + Batman/ Bruce Wayne react to finding out the teen was self-harming and, during the breakdown, scream, ' When you look at me, all you see is him! What can I do to get out of his shadow?? I just want to be loved!' while crying.

Dick and Jason notice the teen is becoming more withdrawn, always wearing long clothing, etc. All of the red flags.

Dick wanting to help, confronts Reader about the behavior change, and Reader gets defensive. At some point, Jason yells for Reader to remove his shirt to prove he's not self-harming. (less out of anger, more out of concern and fear). When Reader does, everyone sees that there isn't an inch of skin that isn't scared. Some being as fresh as yesterday.

DUDE I HAD THIS WHOLE ASK WRITTEN AND IT DELETED RIGJT AS I WENT TI OOST IT OMG I’m so mad genuinely ong TW SELF HARM I’m gonna try and write this from memory ok sooooo I think that-

Dick notices it first, the way you start to pull back from the family. He tries to help indirectly but it doesn’t seem to be working. He can’t help but get more worried the more you start to withdrawal yourself.

Jason sees the signs next but he tries to brush them off. Initially he thought that you’d begun to embrace the Batman and that’s why you’d switched to darker clothing. Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that it was something deeper than that. After a while he talks to Dick, asking him if he’s noticed anything off about how you’d been acting recently and that’s when Dick opens up about everything he’s been noticing. It doesn’t take them long to reach the same conclusion and their hearts sink as they try and come up with a plan to help you out.

At first they try and get you to reach out first by reminding you constantly that they’re there for you if you ever have something in your mind or want to talk but you always brush them off and say you’re fine. Tim notices what they’re doing and confronts the two of them and they open up about everything they’ve noticed. He quickly tells them that they should talk to you directly before it’s too late.

Dick confronts you one day as softly as he possibly could but of course it still doesn’t go over well. You just denied everything immediately even after he tells you that he’s not mad at you for it. He continues to confront you until you have enough and walk away from him. He chases after you, still trying to talk you through everything but you continue to deny his claims as you speedwalk away. Eventually you run into Jason who immediately knows what’s going on. He tried to help Dick by telling you that nobody was mad and that they just wanted to help. The bickering turned into arguing which caught the attention of everyone else. Jason was sick of you denying what was so obvious in his eyes that he told you to prove it to him. Take off your sweatshirt, prove that you weren’t self harming and he’d apologize and leave you alone.

Backed into a corner, you angrily ripped off your hoodie, tears clouding your vision as you heard the horrified gasps from everyone. You breathed heavily as you heard Bruce ask why. Angrily throwing down the jacket in your hands, you screamed. You screamed about how he’d projected onto you, how you were afraid to turn out just like the Joker and how you couldn’t stand it when they all looked at you with accusing eyes. It made them all cry that day, seeing you so helpless, and the scars, there was way more than they’d ever imagined. Most old, but many fresh, and surprisingly Bruce is the first to take initiative in comforting you. He dismisses all of your thoughts immediately, telling you how your fathers actions don’t define you and that he’s sorry that he’d made it seem that way. It’s shocked everyone but eventually they all joined in, comforting you and telling you how they really saw you.

You were simply their sibling and that was it. You were their struggling sibling and they were here for you.

( Dude if this feels rushed in sorry I had to rewrite it completely💀 )

———

Directory

[loststarphounix]

imagine the chaos (and angst) in a danganronpa roleswap au if Gundham takes up the role of being a candidate for the Kamukura project (he's also a reserve course student) and Kazuichi being the Chiaki in this situation—

the possibilities...

Yo! There was a fanfic being made with this exact concept except it was Kazuichi that was a Reserve Course and Gundham was very Nagito like teasing him about it lol Their tumblr is still on here I believe, they stated they were rewriting it but there is some art! I’ll try to find it and private message it to you.

But Gundham being apart of the Kamakura project and being the Reserve Course student is interesting! I’m gonna take it a step further and have it be that he and Hajime as still apart of the project and made into pseudo twins. Like the academy probably realized that putting every single talent known to mankind could lead to disastrous results and even worse - not willing to assist them in their goals. So it was decided to have a set of two ideal candidates that can take the burden of possessing so many talents as well as probably being more susceptible to help.

Gundham wasn’t scouted for Hope’s Peak for an unknown reason, but I like to think it’s because his dad somehow interfered. Instead, he is sent to RC so that his dad can still brag to his friends. There he meets Hajime, whose family was going bankrupt to keep up appearances. And though his parents love him, he sympathizes with Gundham and forged a friendship with him.

They meet Kazuichi by chance - I like to think that their meeting in the NWP is a little true. So imagine Gundham and Hajime are sneaking onto the main campus (Gundham making Hajime do bad things let’s go! Lol jk Hajime also makes him bad things 🤣) and they see a gaint, half made machine with legs kicking in the air. They obviously think the persons in trouble and use to help. The guy in the machine isn’t some regular guy, but the ultimate mechanic, who is freaking out that RC’s are on main campus. They promise they aren’t doing anything, just looking around and decide to go back, but Kazuichi doesn’t let them.

He was actually stuck in the machine lol - had been for a whole hour when Nagito was supposed to help him the traitor. As thanks for getting him out, he shows them around. This begins are weird friendship, with the RC’s -mainly Gundham- sneaking in the main course’s campus to visit Kazuichi. Over time, they meet the others and there’s an incident where Kazuichi is jealous of Sonia for getting close to the goth, who’s jealous of Hajime for being so close to Chiaki when it took her almost their whole first year, who is just trying to figure out how to not get overwhelmed by these amazing people and also his stalker “bully” Nagito.

When they’re approached about the Kamakura Project, they do think about refusing at first. Gundham didn’t see the point of having a talent that wasn’t originally his own and Hajime was struggling between accepting he wasn’t exceptional and the what ifs if he was.

But ultimately, Hajime accepts first. Gundham take a while, but he finally agrees because he realizes that wouldn’t be able to see Kazuichi or Sonia again after Hope’s Peak; they’d be out there, making the world better and brighter. And he’d be alone, in the dark shadow of his father. It also didn’t help that Nagito spilled the beans that Kazuichi was not only thinking of leaving because of his cruel father, but that some teen boy from his neighborhood was harassing him within the academy as a late transfer.

If he agreed to the project, then they both would be allowed on the grounds and be apart of classes. They were even offered money. He can keep Kazuichi safe. Their disappearance affects the class, but mainly Kazuichi amd Nagito. The two felt they were the closest to the RC’s, Kazuichi especially. He was finally gonna tell Gundham how he really felt about him, but all he got was a vague text message one morning and nothing else since. Both their phone numbers were unusable and no one heard from them since. Meanwhile, he’s feeling stress by his dads threats and his middle school ex-friend trying to force his way into his life again to get close to his friends - particularly Sonia and Fuyuhiko. It’s been depressing and he cries in his dorm room thinking he scared his only two best friends away.